Battalion Chief Jason Danen, EMS/Paramedic Coordinator for WNC Terry Mendez, and Fire Chief Sean Slamon stand next to the donated fire engine.
Western Nevada College is building a firefighting associate’s degree, and now it has the engine to drive the program.
The Carson City Fire Department is donating a 29-year-old Type 1 Fire Engine to WNC.
“It's an honor to share it with the college and to support the training and education of our future firefighters. This partnership will bring many advantages to Carson City Fire,” said Sean Slamon, fire chief.
The Nevada System of Higher Education just approved the new degree path last week, according to Terry Mendez, EMS/paramedic coordinator for WNC. He said that he’s already seeing some student interest in the program, and he’s expecting up to 15 students to make up his first cohort of firefighters-in-training. By the time they graduate, they’ll have complete certification to be entry-level firefighters.
He is excited to see how the engine will round-out WNC’s first responder programs.
“We’re bringing fire, EMS, and police academy to Western Nevada College,” he said.
Mendez and Danen joked for CCFD the engine has a 25-year usable lifespan, but the students at WNC will be using it until the wheels fall off – or until the fire department donates another.
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