JESSICA GILLMORE
Hometown: Nampa, Idaho
Major: Fire Service Technology
Graduation: 2025
Scholarships: Metallica Scholars, Laura Moore Cunningham
For Jessica Gillmore, fire service is more than a career. It’s a calling that began in childhood and continues to blaze forward with passion and purpose.
Growing up in Nampa, Idaho, Gillmore was surrounded by the sounds, sights, and stories of firefighting. Her father served as a volunteer firefighter for the Melba Fire Department, and by the time she reached high school, she was following in his footsteps as a volunteer herself.
“I grew up in the fire service, surrounded by ‘once in a lifetime’ mentors,” said Gillmore. “I fell in love with the fire service from that young age and have pursued it with all my heart, never looking back.”
That pursuit led her to College of Western Idaho (CWI), where she enrolled in the Fire Service Technology program. A unique offering in the state, the program prepares students for entry-level careers in firefighting and fire prevention through hands-on training and technical coursework, including fire behavior, inspection, and investigation.
Now in her second year at CWI with just one semester left, Gillmore is gaining real-world experience through a year-long internship with Nampa Fire Prevention. “I study anything they let me put my hands on,” she said. “I want to become a certified fire investigator and help prevent fires from destroying lives and property.”
For Gillmore, understanding fire behavior is more than an academic requirement, it’s her mission. “To fight any enemy, one must study the enemy,” she explained. “My biggest drive is to learn all I can about fire behavior and stop those who disrespect its powerful capabilities.”
Getting to this point hasn’t been easy. Like many students in the program, Gillmore faced the physical and mental challenges of fire academy head-on. “The hardest days were the ones where we were wet, sore, tired, and just plain worn out,” she said. “But those were also the days where we learned the most.”
Through every tough morning, her mom was her biggest motivator. “I’d come home tired and bruised, swearing I wasn’t going back,” said Gillmore. “And every night, my mom would hug me and say, ‘See you tomorrow at 5 a.m.?’ And I’d say, ‘You know it.’”
One of her proudest moments came when she passed fire academy “fair and square” alongside her male peers, despite early concerns about her safety. That milestone, combined with the support of both the Laura Moore Cunningham foundation scholarship and the Metallica’s All Within My Hands Foundation scholarship, has helped her focus fully on her internship and her future.
“Scholarships have made it possible for me to graduate debt free and afford the equipment I need,” said Gillmore. “When I received these scholarships, I felt a large weight lifted. This is my ticket into my dream career.”
Over the past two years, CWI was awarded a $125,000 grant from Metallica’s All Within My Hands Foundation to provide students with essential safety equipment and help offset the costs of internships and training. Gillmore, a Metallica Scholar, received support through the program that allowed her to focus fully on learning the skills needed to become a fire investigator.
“Jessica has been a force to reckon with since joining our program,” said Darrin Raskopf, Director of Fire Service Programs at CWI. “She’s tackled every challenge with determination and even sought out her own internship with Nampa Fire Prevention to expand her learning. Her drive and perseverance have impressed us and Nampa Fire alike, and she’s the kind of student who makes us proud to be part of her growth and development.
After graduation, she hopes to return to Melba and help establish a formal fire prevention division for the community that first inspired her. And to those just starting their journey, she offers this advice: “Take your passion and run with it. If you can’t run, walk. Can’t walk? Crawl. Just keep pushing toward progress.”
Learn more about how CWI’s Fire Service Technology program is training the next generation of firefighters, fire inspectors, and investigators.
