Dyersburg State Community College (DSCC) and the Dyersburg Fire Department (DFD) have joined forces to initiate the first Firefighter Paramedic Apprenticeship Program through the State of Tennessee. The apprenticeship program was specifically designed for a group of recently hired, full-time employees of the DFD. This competency-based apprenticeship program includes approximately 2,000 hours of on-the-job training and 723 related instruction hours. It will supply the Dyersburg Fire Department with nine firefighter paramedics at the end of this apprenticeship. Along the way, the City of Dyersburg and its citizens will benefit all of the rewards of developing medical and fire suppression personnel. These apprentices will begin their fire training immediately, and will be enrolled as EMT Basics with DSCC for the Fall semester. The students will progress into the Advanced EMT program in the Spring of 2023, and will continue on to the Paramedic Program in the Fall of 2023.
In the state of Tennessee, an apprenticeship is a proven training program that is used as a talent development strategy for recruiting, training, and retaining world-class talent and has been used in the industry for decades. Apprenticeships are registered and validated by the U.S. Department of Labor. Apprenticeships are a work-based learning model where students have a full-time position with an employer with supervised on-the-job training, and job-related education, all while earning a wage that increases during the progression of the program.
Dr. Amanda Walker, Vice President of Advancement and External Affairs at Dyersburg State, has helped spearhead this effort along with the help of West Tennessee Regional Apprenticeship Director Shalondria Shaw, Deputy Director for the Northwest Tennessee Workforce Board Ginger Powell, Fire Chief Brett Sipes, and DFD Training Officer Randall Beaver.
“Chief Sipes has taken an outside-the-box approach to find a financially sound option for adding quality employees to his ranks. In addition, Sipes has brought together local community partners to strengthen this group of newly hired DFD employees,” stated EMS Program Director Baker McCool.
For more information about the Firefighter Paramedic Apprenticeship Program, contact Baker McCool, EMS Program Director, at 901-475-3189 or jmccool1@dscc.edu, or Dr. Amanda Walker, Vice President for Advancement & External Affairs, at 731-286-3346 or amanda@dscc.edu.
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