Schoolcraft College’s Fire Training Institute celebrated the graduation of 27 students from its Fall 2017 Fire Academy class and seven from its Fall 2017 Fire II class at a recent ceremony held at VisTaTech Center. State Fire Marshal Kevin Sehlmeyer from the Michigan Bureau of Fire Services was the keynote speaker at the ceremony, which also included honoring top graduates with awards to highlight accomplishments they achieved in areas of academic excellence, physical fitness training and the obstacle course.

The curriculum for the Fire Training programs includes a combination of in-class education and hands-on training at Schoolcraft College’s state-of-the-art Public Safety Training Complex in Livonia. This complex, which is used for both the Police and Fire Academies, includes a fire tower and fire trucks to increase the training capabilities of the students and deliver better trained fire fighters for municipalities across Michigan. 

“By having this type of equipment available at our Public Safety Training Complex, we can increase the training capabilities for our Fire Academy students, which helps deliver better trained fire fighters for municipalities all across Michigan,” said Liam A. Carroll, Fire Technology program coordinator. Carroll added that some of the 34 graduates have already secured either full- or part-time employment with fire departments in Michigan.  And statistics indicate that this career pathway for fire graduates should continue in the future. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, jobs for fire fighters are predicted to grow by 24 percent through 2024.

For more information about Schoolcraft College’s Fire Technology and other Public Safety programs, visit http://www.schoolcraft.edu/academics/public-safety.