By Kristin Zagurski
Omaha World-Herald (Nebraska)
Copyright 2006 The Omaha World-Herald Company
Being a volunteer firefighter requires a big time commitment and doesn’t come with a lot of perks.
The Bellevue Volunteer Fire Department is trying to sweeten the deal for its volunteers by offering college credits for emergency medical technician courses through a partnership with Metropolitan Community College.
Forty firefighters from throughout Sarpy County will start the first for-credit course today, said Bellevue Fire Chief Dale Tedder.
“It’s a good thing for all the fire departments in Sarpy County, not just Bellevue,” he said. “Everybody’s going to be able to offer the same benefit that we are.”
EMT courses have been taught before at the Bellevue Fire Department’s training site near 31st Street and Cornhusker Road, but participants not been able to get college credit for them, Tedder said.
The idea for the program came from a similar program in Johnson County, Kan.
Metro was chosen for the partnership because of its proximity to Bellevue, Tedder said.
An instructor from Metro will teach the course at the department’s training site. Enrollees can attend two short weeknight classes or an all-day class on Saturdays.
Other area community colleges offer fire and rescuerelated programs, Tedder said.
Tedder said he hopes the college credits offered for the EMT course will be a good recruitment tool for volunteers.
The department will pay for the courses. It will be reimbursed by the state, he said.