DALLAS (1080 KRLD)- Officials with Dallas Fire and Rescue announced plans for the Dallas Firefighter Academy, a program that will allow high school students will be able to take courses on firefighting and paramedics before graduating from high school.
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In a Dallas City Council committee meeting Tuesday, representatives from DFR told council members that they are finishing up the curriculum for the program now.
According to Deputy Chief Delridge Williams, beginning sophomore year, students at certain DISD campuses will be able to take the coursework as electives, taught by DFR Firefighters and EMTs.
The academy will be a partnership between DFR and Dallas College, which will actually employ the teachers in the program.
Williams said the idea is to give kids something they can use as a career right after they graduate from high school. “Our goal is after completion of the program, after their senior year, they will be both certified firefighters and certified EMTs,” Williams said.
Williams told committee members that the program will also help out their recruitment efforts as well. He said he’s hoping kids who take the courses will then have an interest in becoming first responders as a career once they walk across the stage. "We're hoping that during the summers we can bring them in as interns, to try to keep that interest,” he said. “You know we can go and find them but we can also grow them. And that's what we're hoping to do is grow them.”
Williams said they are putting final touches on curriculum and coursework. He said classes will be available starting in Fall 2024, at select Dallas ISD high schools.
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