Fire Department Chief William Goodwin and Baltimore City Community College President Carolane Williams signed an agreement Friday to formalize a new curriculum that will allow apprentice firefighters and paramedics to earn college credit during their training.
The new program, similar to one with the Baltimore City Police Department, will provide trainees with substantial college credit toward an associate?s degree or certificate.
The agreement formalizes preparations already under way for the new class of 68 hired firefighter/paramedic apprentices to integrate their training into a liberal arts curriculum.
“The hope is, this will allow the trainees to expand their critical thinking and communications skills to better protect life, property and the environment,” BCCC spokesman Bill Fleming said Friday.
Firefighter traineeswho complete their apprenticeship will earn 23 credits during the first half of their training, focused on firefighting courses, and 26 credits in the second half of their paramedic certification studies. Firefighters need to take about seven classes in general requirement courses to complete requirements for an Associate?s Degree.
Some of the liberal arts classes proposed for firefighters include Introduction to Biology, English Writing, Environmental Science, Introduction to Professional Ethics, and Racial and Ethnic Relationships.
“This is something that Chief Goodwin has been working toward since 1999, when he was director of training; we hope it will be a springboard to higher education for our apprentices,” current city fire department training director Ken Hyde said. “The days when firefighting training was all a firefighter needed are over.”
Hyde said firefighters respond to 80 percent paramedic calls versus 20 percent firefighting calls and also have to learn advanced rescue, hazardous material and anti-terrorism training.
“That?s something unique, too,” Hyde said. “Today half of all our firefighters are certified paramedics and all truck-and-ladder and engine companies have advanced life-saving equipment ? that?s something you won?t see in the county or D.C.”
