Photo courtesy of Midland ISD.
Fire academy preps Midland students for careers after high school
Midland ISD (MISD) high school students can get a jumpstart on their career in the fire service thanks to the relatively new Fire Academy, a dual-credit program providing firefighter and EMT training and certifications at Midland College.
The program, a partnerhsip with the college and City of Midland, provides students with hands-on training over the course of their junior and senior years.
“They get the same training as our adult students,” said Capt. Ryan Collier, associate professor of Emergency Medical Services & Fire Science Technology at Midland College. “They also get the same certifications, which gets them ready for jobs in firefighting once they graduate high school.”
The program has existed since 2021. Two members of the first graduating class went on to work at the Midland Fire Department, according to MISD.
“To see my students join us at MFD, that’s definitely a ‘proud dad’ moment for me,” Collier said. “We always need firefighters, and our hope is to have more students stay in Midland and join our local fire department.”
MFD Chief Charles Blumenauer called the program a “win-win for the community.”
“It allows the Midland Fire Department to have a larger local pool of candidates, and graduates can begin a great career right out of high school,” he said.
According to MISD, the Fire Academy teaches more technical skills than firefighting and preps students to take the Emergency Medical Technician Basic Certification exam after they’ve received their high school diploma. The Midland Fire Department requires all firefighters to be EMT certified.
For more information on the program, go here.
Find this and other local stories in audio for blind and low-vision adults 2 pm daily on The Recording Library of West Texas radio station www.recordinglibrary.org live stream.
