Westmoreland high school students pursue first responder certifications

Students in 10 of Westmoreland County’s school districts don’t have to wait until after graduation to pursue a career as a first responder.

Through the Central Westmoreland Career and Technology Center’s Protective Services class, students in grades 10-12 at select Westmoreland schools can earn certifications in firefighting, policing, EMS and rescue.

Michael Dortenzo, assistant fire chief at Rural Ridge Volunteer Fire Department in Indiana Township, started the course in 2003.

The three-year program is open to students at Belle Vernon, Frazier, Greensburg Salem, Hempfield, Jeannette, Mt. Pleasant, Norwin, Penn-Trafford, Southmoreland and Yough high schools.

Students who enroll in the course can opt to pursue certification in the disciplines, allowing them to start in their chosen field once they graduate from high school and reach 18 years old. For firefighting, certifications are granted through the Pennsylvania State Fire Academy.

Dortenzo’s students have gone on to become district chiefs with Mutual Aid EMS, Pittsburgh police officers and volunteers with local fire departments.

One of the highlights of the firefighting portion of the course is “burn day” — a two-day interactive lesson at Westmoreland County Community College’s Public Safety Training Center in South Huntingdon.

The program is at maximum capacity this school year, with more than 60 students, Dortenzo said.

“There is a waiting list to get into this program,” he said.

Though enrollment in the course is high, the number of students who complete a firefighting certification varies year to year, Dortenzo said. He has seen two to 15 students graduate with the course’s Firefighter I certification in a given year.

All 20 students who went through the Firefighter I training program last school year passed the accompanying hands-on skills assessment, Dortenzo said. But only four passed the final written exam.

“That’s the great equalizer because, as high school students, they sometimes don’t want to study for the cognitive assessment,” Dortenzo said. “I’m hoping to at least double that number this year.”