Lifetime Citizen Portal Access — AI Briefings, Alerts & Unlimited Follows
Board approves Southeastern Community College articulation agreement for public‑safety pathway
Loading...
Summary
The board approved an articulation agreement to offer a public‑safety dual‑credit pathway with Southeastern Community College; program requires EMS 4,200 in the summer before senior year and aims to lead to firefighter credentials and entry‑level pay in the $40,000–$60,000 range.
The Columbus County Board of Education voted April 14 to approve a local articulation agreement with Southeastern Community College to offer a career pathway in public safety for rising seniors.
Tina Little, the Southeastern representative who presented the pathway, said students would take EMS 4,200 in the summer before their senior year (which articulates to the district's Public Safety 2), then firefighter I and II in the senior year and a firefighter III course the summer after graduation, earning both high school CTE credit and college credit. Little said the pathway includes industry credentials — listing NC Hazmat, NIMS certifications and others — and that students who complete the sequence "could go out and earn a job, making anywhere from 40 to 60,000 immediately."
Board members asked whether requiring EMS 4,200 as a prerequisite might deter students who want firefighting or hazardous‑materials training but not EMT certification; presenters said the course requirement comes from the college and that the pathway has not yet been implemented districtwide. Little said the agreement would be implemented at all four high schools and that the district could revisit specifics after rollout.
The board approved the superintendent's recommendation to move forward with the local articulation agreement. The motion was moved and seconded and carried by voice vote.
