Living On
PC Fire Academy Scholarship in honor of Jones
Porterville City Firefighter Patrick Jones will forever live on in Porterville. Now Jones will live on every year through one firefighter who will receive a scholarship in his honor.
Family members of Jones were at Porterville College on Tuesday to present a donation of $75,000 to the school. The donation was made to the college for the Patrick Jones Memorial Scholarship.
Every year one aspiring firefighter who goes through the Porterville College Fire Academy will receive a $3,000 scholarship that pays for their entire cost of going through the Academy. The $75,000 donation was made for the endowed scholarship so it could go on in perpetuity.
Family members of the Jones family presented the donation to PC on Tuesday, the sixmonth anniversary of the fire that destroyed the Porterville Public Library on February 18. Jones and fellow Porterville City Firefighter Raymond Figueroa died battling the blaze.
Porterville College Foundation executive director Ramona Chiapa said the scholarship will go to one firefighter each year who has completed the PC Fire Academy. She said it’s likely the scholarship will be awarded during each PC Fire Academy graduation.
Over the last several six months, communities, organizations and individuals from throughout Tulare County donated and held fundraisers to support the families of Jones and Figueroa. The Jones family’s donation comes from those donations, with a large portion of the donations coming from the community of Porterville.
“They’re just genuine people who I think have appreciated the support and care from our community,” said Chiapa about the Jones family.
The PC Fire Academy which normally takes place during every fall semester has been postponed for now. Chiapa said PC continues to evaluate when conditions will allow for the academy to be held.
Chiapa said criteria has been set for how the recipient of the scholarship will be chosen and that criteria includes “exemplifying qualities that Patrick had.”
She said a committee made up of those from the Porterville City Fire Department, staff from the PC Academy and members of the Jones family will determine the criteria for the scholarship. Jones went through the PC Fire Academy.
“Basically we felt like we’re really giving back to the community a firefighter who hopefully remembers Patrick to the best of his ability,” said Katie Bryant, Patrick Jones sister, about the firefighter honoring Jones’ legacy. “And to give one firefighter out there a chance to live their dream.”
“First responders are the heart of the community and are people we turn to in the most difficult and challenging circumstances,” Chiapa said. “They risk their lives to support and save ours. The Jones family reinvesting into fu
ture first responders is a tremendous gift for those answering the call to serve. “It will continue to support the care, passion, heroism and fighting spirit that this tragedy brought to life in our community. On behalf of Porterville College, the Porterville College Foundation and the students we serve thank you. We are humbled to have the opportunity to remember Firefighter Jones’ legacy through this scholarship.”
Contributions to the Firefighter Patrick Jones Memorial Scholarship may be mailed to the Porterville College Foundation, 100 E. College. Ave., Porterville, 93257 or submitted via the foundation website www.portervillecollegefoundation.org.
For more information, contact the Porterville College Foundation Office, (559) 791-2308, (559) 7912319 or email pcfoundation@portervillecollege.edu.