From Staff Reports

AMERICUS — South Georgia Technical College (SGTC) will be offering a combined firefighter/emergency medical services professional diploma for students interested in entry-level employment in the public safety areas of fire science and emergency medical services beginning Spring Semester, Jan. 10. Students enrolling in this program may be eligible for the Hope and Federal Pell grants.
“This is a tremendous opportunity for individuals interested in working with a fire department or in the Emergency Medical Services field,” said SGTC President John Watford, Ed.D. “These two fields are interrelated and now our students have the opportunity to apply for jobs in either or both career areas. Job growth in these two areas is expected to rise between nine and 19 percent over the next few years.”
Bryan Barnes is the SGTC emergency medical technician instructor and Jared Ward is the lead South Georgia Technical College Firefighter instructor. “Students graduating from this program may be eligible for certification and/or licensure in the following areas: Firefighter I, EMT, and AEMT. Students can attend part-time or full-time,” he said.
“By combining the two programs, we are allowing students to expand their opportunities for employment,” said SGTC Academic Dean Vanessa Wall, who oversees both program areas. “This new combined program offering also allows students to complete both programs in six semesters and may allow them to be eligible for additional financial aid opportunities.”
The Firefighter/EMSP diploma program is conducted in cooperation with the Georgia Fire Academy and Georgia Firefighter Standards and Training to ensure graduates have the skills, knowledge and credentials to serve as firefights in paid and volunteer fire departments. Graduates will be tested and certified at the National Professional Qualifications level. Upon successful completion of the Firefighter/EMSP diploma program, students may be able to sit for the National Registry of Emergency Medical Technicians (NREMT) AEMT certification exam.