At the heart of every rescue and emergency are the brave firefighters who step up to save lives. While communities rely on first responders to attend accidents and emergencies, they rely on their communication with each other during rescue efforts.

First responders spend countless hours training before they ever step foot into an emergency situation. The skills and knowledge they acquire at Durham College (DC) is essential, not only to save the lives of those in need of help, but to keep themselves and their teams safe. Ensuring firefighting students are trained on industry-standard equipment is essential to prepare career-ready graduates.

“As a firefighter, your radio is your lifeline in a fire,” explained Rob Cannon, Program Coordinator, Firefighter – Pre-Service Education and Training (PFET). This is why the generous support of donors to the Student Experience Fund (SEF) is so crucial.

Through donations made to the SEF, students in DC’s PFET program will have access to new, Bluetooth compatible radios. Not only are the radios an upgrade from the existing model available, there will now be more units, increasing the invaluable hands-on experience each student will have while in full gear.

“In a real-life rescue scenario, time is limited, and being comfortable and confident while making radio transmissions in dangerous conditions is vital,” said Cannon.

This equipment will also be used in other areas of the Faculty of Social & Community Services, including the 9-1-1 Emergency and Call Centre Communications program, which teaches future telecommunicators in 9-1-1, fire, medical and police communication centres.

These radios are just one example of how donations to the SEF are equipping students with the experience they need to pursue meaningful careers. The SEF supports the college’s greatest fundraising priorities – right now, capital equipment. Donations to this fund help to refresh, expand, and acquire the latest equipment and technology across the college’s nine Faculties. Stay tuned for more stories on donors’ dollars at work helping to provide current and future students at DC with the best in innovative and transformative education.