Garden City donates fire engine to Savannah Tech

GARDEN CITY, Ga. – Savannah Technical College’s Fire Science students now have their own fire engine to enhance their education and training thanks to Garden City’s Mayor, Council, and Fire Chief.
“We appreciate the generosity of Garden City and its fire department,” said STC President Dr. Kathy S. Love. “The equipment is a welcome addition to Savannah Technical College’s hands-on training opportunities for Fire Science students.”
This fully functional 1979 Ford fire engine was originally purchased new by the city and served the citizens of Garden City for more than 35 years. Recently retired from the city’s fleet, this fire engine will take on a new life as a training tool.
“This donation is a great example of our continued effort to establish mutual beneficial partnerships with organizations and businesses throughout our community to improve the services for our citizens,” said Garden City Mayor Don Bethune.
In exchange for the donation, the College is facilitating two promotional assessment centers for the Garden City Fire Department during the next two years.
Blake Hodge, Garden City’s Fire Chief added, “Today’s fire service promotes experience, formal education, training, and continued education; often referred to as the four legged stool of progressive fire service leadership development. The opportunity to support the Fire Science Program at Savannah Technical College is an honor. Local fire services will reap the benefits delivered to firefighters through their educational experiences, thus improving service delivery our citizens and traveling public.”
This fire engine will be an integral part of STC’s firefighter certification programs, as well as other experience-based educational fire classes. “Most of Savannah Tech’s students pursuing their certifications as a firefighter have little, if any, fire service experience,” said STC Fire Science Department Head Anthony Faust. “Having their own fire truck to train with and take care of will instill a sense of pride among our students, enhance their teamwork skills, and motivate them to learn the skills required to safely and effectively function in today’s fire service.”
The STC Fire Science programs prepare graduates for successful careers in the fire and emergency service field, whether they are looking to obtain required certifications to apply to fire departments nationwide or wish to obtain their degree to qualify for promotion into leadership positions at their department. Many of the classes meet the educational criteria established by the Georgia Firefighter Standards and Training Council (ProBoard) allowing students to challenge various national fire service certifications including Fire Officer I & II, Incident Safety Officer, Fire Instructor I, Hazardous Materials Operations, Fire & Life Safety Educator, etc.
All Fire Science classes are scheduled to help students attend college, while balancing their home/life/work obligations with a combination of evening and online classes with practical hands-on training occurring at various area fire departments. The Fire Science Degree/Diploma programs’ schedules were recently reconfigured utilizing the miniterm format, which enables students to obtain their fire science degree or diploma in one year. The STC Fire Science program office is located to the Crossroads campus (190 Crossroads Parkway, Savannah, 31407). Interested students should contact Faust at afaust@savannahtech.edu or 912.443.3386.
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A unit of the Technical College System of Georgia, Savannah Technical College (Savannah Tech) is the premier provider of career-ready technical education in Coastal Georgia, offering a comprehensive range of nearly 150 market-driven programs, preparing students for high-demand careers including Aviation Technology, Cybersecurity, Health Sciences, Logistics & Supply Chain Management, Automation & Robotics, Information Technology, Culinary Arts, Public Services and more. With campuses in Chatham, Effingham, and Liberty Counties, Savannah Tech serves more than 13,000 credit and non-credit students with a variety of pathways to success, including dual enrollment programs for high school students and specialized support services for military veterans and their families. Beyond academics, Savannah Tech is an economic and community development partner, collaborating with industry leaders to provide customized training programs, assessment services, and continuing education opportunities. For more information, visit www.savannahtech.edu.
Savannah Technical College is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC) to award associate degrees, diplomas and technical certificates of credit. Questions about the accreditation of Savannah Technical College may be directed in writing to the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges at 1866 Southern Lane, Decatur, GA 30033-4097, by calling (404) 679-4500, or by using information available on SACSCOC’s website (www.sacscoc.org).
Savannah Technical College complies with the Technical College System of Georgia (TCSG). The TCSG State Board prohibits discrimination on the basis of an individual’s age, color, disability, genetic information, national origin, race, religion, sex, or veteran status (“protected status”). No individual shall be excluded from participation in, denied the benefits of, or otherwise subjected to unlawful discrimination, harassment, or retaliation under, any TCSG program or activity because of the individual’s protected status; nor shall any individual be given preferential treatment because of the individual’s protected status, except the preferential treatment may be given on the basis of veteran status when appropriate under federal or state law.