from Potter County Fire News – Click Here for More.
By Amanda Leigh Brozana (Staff Writer abrozana@republicanherald.com)Published: March 14, 2011
Firefighters across the commonwealth are sounding the alarm after training funds have changed in recent years, something they argue may lead departments to choose not to send volunteers for essential firefighting education.
For decades, fire companies that sought training courses for their volunteer or paid firefighters requested courses through the community college system. Courses were offered at their company or in close proximity and instructors were paid through state funding.
About five years ago, that changed when colleges accepted a move from the system that reimbursed institutions for noncredit public safety training courses through the state Department of Education to a system in which all community colleges pull from a pool of money, eliminating reimbursements for “full-time equivalencies” related to public safety training.
That move, state Fire Commissioner Ed Mann said, has moved college administrators to place value on programs that make money, and have them putting a burden on fire training to raise funds through course fees that were not charged in the past.
At the time of the change, fire officials throughout the state warned that fire companies may soon have to cover the cost of training – something that could be extremely costly, given the current 166 hours of basic “firefighter 1″ education and dozens of specialized courses offered under the State Fire Academy’s curriculum.
“See, colleges weren’t making money on these courses, but it was OK because they were still paid to offer the training,” Mann said in a phone interview March 7. “Now, community college enrollments are up substantially and spending dollars go toward credit programs, so there is less money for public safety programs.”
Mann said from college to college, the fees institutions will charge for courses will vary, and no one knows “what the final costs may be for these programs” to the departments.
For Mann and others, the shift brings about many concerns.
