Orange County Fire and Emergency Services Partners with Orange County High School to
Create Workforce Pipeline By: Orange County Economic Development and Fire and Emergency Services
This past month, Orange County Fire and Emergency Services (COFEMS) completed another round of Firefighter 1 training with Orange County High School students. The Firefighter 1 course is offered through the High School as a two (2) block class, and students are bused to the Berry Hill Fire Station to complete coursework. After completing the classroom coursework, students are eligible to sit for the Virginia Firefighter and Pro Board certification which includes a written test, live burn simulation, and skills assessment. Upon successful completion of this coursework and these certifications, students are eligible to volunteer with their local fire department where they can obtain their Firefighter II certification. Additionally, students can also enroll in the Emergency Medical Technician course, also offered through this partnership. With these certifications, graduates are eligible to become full - time COFEMS employees
with a starting salary of $48,876 +. All coursework though this partnership is fully funded through COFEMS. COFEMS Chief, Nathan Mort noted, “ The demand for fire and EMS personnel continues to grow each year on the volunteer side as well as the career side. With more and more opportunities opening up and the need to fill these positions programs such as these will help to close the needs gap within fire and EMS. We are very proud of the hard work that the students put into becoming certified and even if they decide not to continue in the field they have learned that they can achieve more than they expected and have garnered problem solving skills that will carry with them through life. ” Renee Honaker, Director of Secondary Instruction for Orange County Public Schools stated, “ We are fortunate to have this partnership with Orange County Fire and Emergency Services. Providing students with these opportunities is only possible through collaboration between the schools and COFEMS. These courses help us achieve our goal of providing students a range of options that prepare them for the workforce or post - high school education/training. ”
Pictured above is OCHS student and Station 29 volunteer, Katelyn Lauber.
Page 17 | January, 2023
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