On January 22, the Maricopa Community College District's Governing Board approved a lease agreement between Estrella Mountain Community College (EMCC) and the cities of Avondale and Litchfield Park to build a fire station on the college's campus. This agreement comes on the heels of the start of the new Emergency Medical Technology (EMT) program offered at the college's SouthWest Skill Center where students can earn EMT certification and college credit toward an associate's degree in fire science - all in one place. The EMT program and the specifics of the agreement are in alignment to benefit students who are interested in beginning their education at the SouthWest Skill Center, earning a fire science degree at the college, and continuing on to a promising career serving the community with local agencies.
The fire station will house the college's campus safety operation as well as a substation for Avondale Police, a Southwest ambulance, two classrooms, and office space for the college's teaching faculty. Not only will the firefighters and students in both the EMT and fire science programs benefit, but the community as well because of the station's participation in automatic aid. "We are anxious to have them here," said Clay Goodman; vice president, occupational education. "Having the fire station on campus directly benefits the community, the college and our students who are enrolled in these programs."
Ron Deadman, division chief for the City of Avondale Fire Department, highlighted several benefits of being located on the college campus to both firefighters and EMCC students, "Our fire department has always been committed to supporting education in the community. Being located on the Estrella Mou ntain campus will allow EMCC's EMT and fire science students to be exposed to an active fire station and network with those who are already employed here. It is also beneficial to our current firefighters who can continue their education right down the hall with professional instructors and resources available in the learning spaces that are to be a part of the new station," he said.
Since EMT certification is required of all fire department applicants, the program is the first step to gaining entry into this competitive field. Deadman discussed the dedication of firefighters in that while the average person changes jobs seven times in their lives, firefighters generally stay in the profession 20+ years. He also said that upon hire with EMT certification, that firefighters often go back to get their fire science degree in order to grow and be promoted in the field. Those students who choose to immediately transfer from the EMT program to the fire science program increase their chances of being hired out of a pool of hundreds of applicants for a very small amount of open positions.
The interaction between the EMT students and the members of the Avondale/Litchfield Park station will be invaluable to the students who can go on ride-alongs and have their clinical rotations on campus with an agency they are familiar with. Deadman also pointed out that the training EMT students receive at the college's SouthWest Skill center is unique in that they are trained in the same facility as nursing students. Their interaction is valuable since it will be much like the real-life interaction required of a paramedic and hospital nursing staff.
The SouthWest Skill Center's 16-week EMT program prepares students for the National Registry of Emergency Medical Technicians (NREMT) exam and awards them with 8 college credits toward an associate's degree in fire science, already offered on the Estrella Mountain campus. Estrella Mountain's SouthWest Skill Center began offering the EMT program in January of this year with enrollment beginning March 3 for the June 9 summer session. For more information, or to register for the EMT program, contact Larry Subervi at 623-535-2807.