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Grant will fund minority firefighting training

Friday, Jan 11, 2013
Loraine O'Connell

A $10,000 grant from Bank of America will fund scholarships for disadvantaged minorities who want to become firefighters.

Seminole State College of Florida has received a $10,000 grant from the Bank of America Charitable Foundation to provide scholarships to help disadvantaged minorities become firefighters.

The grant will provide scholarships for minority students to enroll in upcoming Fire Academy classes at Seminole State.

“We’re proud to partner with Bank of America to help students obtain the education and training they need,” says John Gyllin, executive director of the Foundation for Seminole State. “Access to job opportunities is critical to our national economic recovery.”

Because the Fire Academy’s fire standards course is a short-term training program, federal financial aid usually is not available for students, and the approximately $1,000 in costs for instructional equipment, uniforms and materials can be prohibitive for low-income students.

“Bank of America recognizes that education is the first step on the pathway to meaningful employment,” says John Moskos, Orlando market president of Bank of America. “By supporting education programs, we’re investing in the workforce of the future.” 

Seminole State will partner with the Seminole County Public Schools, Workforce Central Florida and community organizations to recruit students for the scholarships.

Seminole State has been training Central Florida’s firefighters since 1973. The College has the only certified training center in Seminole County and one of the largest in Central Florida.

Seminole State's Center for Public Safety is a statewide educational resource for all aspects of criminal justice, fire science and EMS. In addition to preparing future first responders, the Center for Public Safety also provides advanced, specialized and in-service training for current law enforcement officers, firefighters, EMTs and paramedics. For more information, please visit the Public Safety website.