Fire / Emergency Medical Services with Levi

Transcript

Here’s Levi, who grew up in Sterling and is now a Sterling firefighter after recently graduating from the Fire and Emergency Medical Services program. NJC partners with the Sterling Fire Department to provide live fire training, preparing graduates for a career as a first responder. The program is growing to include paramedic certification in the near future. Tell us more, Levi.

– Hi Alex, and hello. I’ve always wanted to be a firefighter ever since I was a little kid. I watched my parents do the job as volunteer firefighters, and when I turned 17, I volunteered as well. When it came time to grow my education to become a professional firefighter, NJC was the right place for me to pursue my dream. The NJC Fire Science Emergency Medical Services Program really prepared me to become an emergency medical technician and a firefighter. The college partners with the local fire department, so we learned from both college faculty and active firefighters. We use the city’s live training facility to practice extinguishing fires, conducting rescues, and much more. We learned on the real equipment that is being used today. I felt confident that I would be useful on my first day on the job. I also had the opportunity to serve as a resident advisor in one of the dorms. Here, I learned leadership, connection-building, and problem-solving skills that I’ll take with me in my career as a first responder. NJC is the right place to learn to be a firefighter and an EMT. Although I served as a volunteer before attending, I had so much more to learn, and NJC provided me with that opportunity. I am confident in my skills as a firefighter as a result of the program. I’m currently employed part-time at the Sterling Fire Department and hope to get on full-time soon. My education more than prepared me for this line of work, and my experience on campus really helped me grow as a person. NJC offers so many opportunities to learn a trade that will get you a job quick. Well, sorry, Alex, I gotta go on a call. Back to you.

– Be safe, Levi, and thanks for sharing your story. What an exciting field to study, knowing that you will enter a field where protecting and saving lives is an everyday job. NJC’s partnerships like this truly enhance the educational experience for all students. Thanks, Levi.