Coaldale and District Emergency Services commemorates inaugural Kate Andrews Fire Academy graduates
18 new students already registered for Fall 2021 program, renamed ‘Kate Andrews Emergency Services Academy’: on June 18, the Coaldale and District Emergency Services (CDES) held the end of the year celebration and awards ceremony for Platoon 1 of the Kate Andrews Fire Academy. Students were joined by family members, Academy instructors, representatives from Palliser Regional School Division, and the Town of Coaldale.
“It has been incredible to see the dedication and work ethic Platoon 1 showed over the last two years, said Kevin McKeown, Fire Chief at Coaldale & District Emergency Services. “I think they learned a lot about leadership, teamwork, and what it takes to work in emergency services. The ceremony was a well-deserved event to acknowledge the immense work that the students put in over the last year.”
Platoon 1, the 2021 graduating class, completed their Firefighter I training and Hazmat Awareness and Operations training over the last year. Several students had also attended the first year of the program which started in 2019 in which they attained their Medical First Responder certificate from NAIT. A number of students will be going off to post-secondary this fall in a related field, while others are going into Primary Care Paramedic, nursing, and firefighting.
“One of the main goals of the program was to get students excited about pursuing a career in emergency services,” said McKeown. ‘Another added benefit is the fact that we now have more trained emergency responders in the community able to jump in and help out if they come across an emergency.”
Two Fire Academy students were successful in their application process to become full-fledged volunteer firefighters with CDES.
“I am proud that two of our Fire Academy grads took the initiative to apply to our department and serve our community,” said McKeown. “This is a big win for us – as a volunteer/ paid-on-call fire department, having firefighters join the ranks that have the basic training already is really beneficial. They can hit the floor running with the knowledge and skills they gained through the program.”
The Fire Academy was a tremendously successful program despite the limitations brought on by Covid-19.
“Running the program over the last two years was certainly a challenge, particularly with the public health restrictions that were rapidly changing during the first year of the program,” said McKeown. “However, everybody remained committed to finishing the program and working through whatever challenges came our way. It was a pleasure working with these students; I think we all learned a bit from them as well, and it motivates us to keep going. The Kate Andrews Fire Academy has 18 eager new students ready to start in September 2021, as the Academy undergoes a name change to the Kate Andrews Emergency Services Academy which is more in tune with what we are teaching; emergency medical services and firefighting.”
An inaugural award called the Captain Wilson Award for Dedication and Excellence to Emergency Services, which included a custom plaque and a $150 scholarship donated by the Coaldale and District Volunteer Firefighters Association was awarded to a student that showed dedication, loyalty, teamwork, excellent skills and knowledge, and had to be attending a post-secondary institution in a related field. Andi Hope-Rapp was the proud recipient of the award and scholarship and will be attending Lakeland College in the fall to take the Emergency Services Technology program.
“I would like to thank the Town of Coaldale, Palliser Regional School Division, NAIT, and of course all of the amazing instructors and support staff from Coaldale & District Emergency Services,” said McKeown. “There is no way we could provide this high-level intense dual-credit program without the support.”