Mid State Board approves Fire Medic associate degree program

Mid State Technical College’s board approved program approval for a new Fire Medic associate degree during its President’s Day meeting.

Chris, who presented the proposal, said the program combines the college’s 16-credit fire services technical diploma with core paramedic courses and general-education requirements into a 65-credit associate degree. “Basically, these are all programs that we’re already offering. We’re combining them really to add benefit for someone that does desire the full associate degree,” Chris said, noting the program requires no new staffing, curriculum, or equipment.

Chris told the board the program’s curriculum was validated by the college’s fire advisory committee and that local labor-market data project ongoing demand for the next five years because of retirements and turnover. Pending board approval, the college will submit the program to WTCS (the Wisconsin Technical College System) for final system approval.

A board member moved to approve the program and the motion was seconded. A roll-call vote was held and the board recorded affirmative responses; the board approved program approval for the Fire Medic associate degree. The transcript does not include a full named vote tally or the mover/second by name.

The presenter said, if WTCS approves the program, Mid State could begin admitting students in the fall term. The board did not record any amendments to the proposal and no additional budget or staffing requests were presented at the meeting.

Next steps: the college will submit the approved program application to WTCS for system review and, pending that approval, begin enrollment planning.