ROSEBURG, Oregon – With the ever increasing need for well-trained firefighters, obtaining the equipment needed to train them for the jobs of tomorrow can be a challenge. However, thanks to community support, programs like Umpqua Community College’s (UCC) Fire Science program are able to afford student the tools they need to grow and succeed.
Last December, UCC was awarded a generous Jordan Cove-Pacific Connect Grant. Thanks to the $2,500 received, the program was able to equip its recently-acquired fire engine. Hands-on training is exceedingly important in training the future firefighters that will serve our community. By making this equipment accessible to UCC Fire Science students, they gain the learning tools to create better first responders. Though the fire engine made for a massive step in providing students with enhanced hands-on training, the vehicle did not previously contain all of the equipment it needed. Up until now, the missing equipment had been borrowed from local fire departments.
With this grant, UCC Fire Science is able to take the first steps to adding this much needed equipment to their repository. Some examples of the equipment purchased with this grant include; multi-purpose extinguishers, pick headed axe, flat headed axe, hose straps, hose clamps, hydrant gates, salvage tarps, amongst other equipment.
This is a great opportunity for the students to get real, hands-on training with the equipment they’ll be using in the field, Andy Hatfield, UCC’s Fire Science program coordinator, said.
The $2,500 grant puts a much needed dent in the program’s fundraising efforts with the total cost of fully equipping the fire engine being estimated at just under $9,000. If you would like to support your community’s future first responders and make a difference in granting UCC Fire Science students access to this much-needed equipment, please click here to visit the UCC Foundation donation site.
About Umpqua Community College
Nestled in the beautiful North Umpqua River Valley, Umpqua Community College is the regional center for higher education in Douglas County, Oregon. UCC provides high quality college degree programs, workforce development, and community learning opportunities.
Contact
Andy Hatfield
Coordinator, Fire Science
Phone: 541-440-7829