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Lancaster County fire commission says school schedule change will shift high school firefighter training to one-year model
Summary
Members of the Lancaster County Fire Commission discussed moving the county high school firefighter training program to a single‑year, half‑day schedule after school schedule changes reduced class time.
Members of the Lancaster County Fire Commission discussed plans to convert the county high school firefighter training program from a two‑year sequence into a single, full‑year half‑day program after school scheduling changes reduced available class time.
The change follows what a commission member described as a decision by Cherokee County Schools not to review the contract of instructor Todd Gardner, a move the commission said will end that instructor’s fall teaching at the school. "They told him yesterday that they would not review his contract, and so his program will not happen in the fall," a commission member said during the meeting.
The commission said the new schedule will keep the overall number of training hours but compress them into one academic year, with juniors introduced to the program and seniors able to return for advanced coursework. Commission members said the program has historically been run as a two‑year program and that shortening it to one year could allow more students to enroll.
Why this matters: the program provides multiple state and industry certifications and feeds local fire departments with trained recruits. One commission member said the program issues a larger package of credentials than most other local programs, naming state‑level Fire 1 and Fire 2, hazmat awareness and operations, building construction, support company operations, basic auto education, and CPR among the certifications students receive.
Commission members said course capacity is capped at 15 students per school under current arrangements. "If I do get to 15, we're gonna have to really get some push from this commission to go to council because we're gonna have to rate the budget," the commission member said, adding that the commission would need to seek more resources if class size increases.
Commission members urged promotion of the new schedule to area juniors so students who discover the career center in their junior year can enroll for senior‑year training. They also highlighted local placements: several recent program graduates have moved into paid firefighting jobs at City Fire and Indian Land.
Discussion vs. decisions: the transcript records the commission’s discussion and warnings that budget support may be necessary; no formal vote or county council request was made during the meeting. A commission member said the program will finish the current year under existing arrangements and that the commission will consider budget requests if enrollment grows.
Ending: Commission members asked fellow commissioners and fire departments to promote the revised program to students and to be prepared to request additional county funding if class sizes expand.
