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Derby High adopts fire and EMT career pathway so graduates can enter firefighting and EMT jobs
Summary
The board approved a new CTE pathway at Derby High that gives students Fire I and EMT certifications through partnerships with WSU Tech and Butler Community College; the program is covered under state CTE funding.
The Derby Board of Education voted 6‑0 on March 20, 2025, to adopt a career and technical education (CTE) pathway at Derby High School that combines fire‑science and emergency‑medical training. The program is a partnership with WSU Tech (EMT instruction) and Butler Community College (fire science instruction) and aims to issue Fire I and EMT credentials to students who complete the sequence.
District and fire‑department presenters said the pathway will make students immediately hireable by fire departments once they pass certification tests. BJ Parsons, chief training officer (Derby Fire Department), told the board: “After this program, they'll have their EMT certificate, and they'll have their Fire 1. Those two things together is all you need to be hireable.”
Program requirements discussed at the meeting include an age condition for certification testing: students must be 17 when they begin the program during their senior year and 18 at graduation to qualify for the certification exams. District staff said state CTE and related E-Title (referred to in the meeting as “CTE and Excel”) funds will cover certification testing and many program fees.
Board members asked about post‑graduation pathways; Derby Fire representatives described departmental tuition‑reimbursement and training practices for new hires who advance to higher certifications (hazmat, rescue and other specialties). The board approved the pathway unanimously.
Action: Motion to adopt the Derby High fire and EMT pathway — approved 6‑0.
