Northern College Grows Partnership with Timmins Fire Department

**NORTHERN COLLEGE NEWS RELEASE**

Northern College is pleased to announce the expansion of a longstanding partnership with the Timmins Fire Department.

Since the creation of the Pre-service fire program in 2002, Northern College has maintained a close working relationship with Fire services in the region. Area Fire Chiefs hold positions on College Program Advisory Committees and offer valuable input into the currency of programming.

Now, the Timmins Fire Department is now offering Northern College students the unique opportunity to gain real world experience as volunteers within all five of their departments.

“This is a unique opportunity that Northern College has with the Timmins Fire Department to promote the Pre-service Firefighter program,” stated acting Timmins Fire Chief Ellard Beaven. “The student will become more than just a student; they will become an active member of the Timmins Fire Department.”

This new aspect of the Pre-Service Fire program will take effect during the fall semester of this year, taking full advantage of the new state of the art Integrated Emergency Services Complex, which is also home to the City of Timmins Whitney Fire Station.

“This initiative benefits everyone, as the City will gain additional volunteer firefighters and our students will gain more practical workplace knowledge,” said Dean of Health Sciences and Emergency Services, Sarah Campbell. “The training we provide to students in the first 4 months of the semester is enough for them to begin working safely as volunteer firefighters while they continue their formal training at the college.”

The Integrated Emergency Services building hosts a functioning fire lab and physical training resources for students to practice required skills indoors during the fall and winter months, facilities that are crucial not only in the learning process, but in preparing them for a career in the field.

“They will be able to work in their field, and gain unique work experiences while learning in a state of the art facility,” said Campbell. “They will be able to keep these positions after graduation, if they choose.”

Northern College is committed to building relationships with local industry and services to provide students unprecedented access to on the job training opportunities designed to create first rate graduates with a high likelihood of post-graduate employment.

“We are very proud of our longstanding relationship with the City of Timmins Fire Department,” stated Northern College President, Dr. Fred Gibbons. “This new dimension of work integrated learning being added to our program will have immediate benefits for the Timmins Fire Department, while assisting in developing experience and building the resumes of our students.”