HELENA — At a time when Montana is facing a shortage of firefighters, Helena College is introducing a new program to train students interested in a career in fire service.
"I think recruitment across the professional fire service in Montana and even beyond that has been down. I think we generally lack qualified candidates. It's something we can do at Helena College to maybe boost those numbers a little bit," said Nolan Eggen, fire and emergency services instructor at Helena College.
According to a 2020 United States Fire Department profile from the National Fire Protection Association, the number of firefighters in the U.S. has stayed relatively the same since 2000.
However, the number of calls from 2000 to 2020 increased by 15,896,000.
The Firefighter 1 Academy at Helena College is a two-week program that allows students to earn a nationally accredited certification and credits for the school's fire service degree program.
Eggen said, "They're going to be busy days. We'll start at 8 o'clock. I'll probably have a little classroom stuff, maybe some videos to watch, and then we will hit the ground at the training house."
The academy is supported by the Montana State University Fire Service Training School, which also loaned Helena College a fire truck.
Helena College's firefighter academy is available for anyone 18 or older to apply.
"This is a way that somebody can take control of their own career path. If they already have this training, they would far surpass somebody who still has to go through it," said Jeri Bucy, director of the community education center at Helena College.
The classes focus on structural and municipal fire fighting rather than wildfires.
They will be held Monday through Friday from May 12th to the 23rd, with a break for lunch, and it costs around $2,795 to attend.
Eggen said, "We're going to be pulling hoses, throwing ladders, rescuing victims, cutting holes, all that stuff every day."
You can find more information about the academy and where to register here.
