Igniting the future
Firefighters are trained professionals who serve the community by often being the first on the scene in a crisis. Veteran firefighter Rhome Calhoun is not only a role model but is now also an educator as coordinator for Franklin D. Roosevelt High School’s first dual credit fire academy. 
In this new role, he is preparing the next generation of first responders by digging into his own lived experience.
“The goal of the program is to produce students who are competent firefighter EMT’s, so that they can go out and get a job anywhere in the state,” Calhoun said. “Their certification will take them anywhere in Texas.”
Originally from Los Angeles, Calhoun has been a firefighter for 16 years. He began his career in San Bernardino County—the largest county in the United States with 2.2 million residents over a span of 20,000 square miles.
Calhoun joined Dallas ISD last November and believes his past experiences give him the professionalism, knowledge and real-world expertise to successfully lead the new program.
He uses the knowledge acquired in the field and real-life scenarios to prepare students, believing the skills they gain can also help them navigate unexpected emergencies in their personal lives.
Students receive a blended learning experience of hands-on training from Dallas Fire Rescue instructors combined with an academic approach to fire science, taught by Dallas College faculty.
Calhoun is also a firefighter at Rhome Fire Rescue in Rhome, Texas—a city 50 miles northwest of Dallas. He feels a sense of ownership and pride serving in a department and city that share his name.
“I’m not retired yet. I am doing the work right now. If someone were to call on a Sunday, or if there was an accident on highway 87, there is a good chance that you would see me there,” Calhoun said. “I want students to know that they have an active member of the fire service to answer their questions.”
Calhoun’s journey to becoming an educator began while in college in California, where he balanced classes, firefighting and coaching softball.
While coaching, he developed a passion for making a difference in students’ lives, often hearing from parents that he should become a teacher. After moving to Texas, he became certified through an alternative certification program and taught EMT classes at Northside High School in Fort Worth ISD before joining Dallas ISD.
Calhoun—who has a Bachelor of Science in Kinesiology from California State University, Fullerton—realized the work of a firefighter can have an impact on your mental health and attributes his day-to-day success to mental strength and exercise. He still coaches softball.
“You can’t save everyone, even when you try, and that can be hard to deal with,” Calhoun said.
This reality motivates him as he builds the curriculum for the fire academy. From the student’s first day, Calhoun teaches real world knowledge on how to identify the severity of a bleed and how to recover from a serious one.
Students were originally only taught CPR in 11th grade, but Calhoun enhanced the program by teaching it sooner, during their freshman year.
“If the students don’t learn anything else, I want them to know these critical life skills. This passion comes from my direct experience in the field. This is my way of doing something about medical errors I have seen around me.” Calhoun said.
