Photo: Josh Cogburn worked throughout the summer with Coos Forest Protective Association. This photo was taken of him working on the suppression of the recent North Bank fire just south of Coos Bay.
Southwestern Oregon Community College works in close partnership with fire agencies in our region. This provides students with real-world experience needed to become professional firefighters. There are currently 18 resident student volunteers helping serve our local community in Charleston, Coos Bay, North Bay and North Bend fire departments.
Firefighters provide a wide range of emergency services. In addition to putting out fires in buildings and forests, they are also often the first-responders to emergencies such as sudden serious illnesses, accidents or car crashes. There they act as emergency medical personnel to help stabilize situations.
The fire science degree at Southwestern requires students to complete internship hours as a part of their degree. Most students complete their internship and stay involved with their fire agencies until graduation, and often times after.
Check out the story about our Fire Science Internship program from the City of Coos Bay, published in The World Newspaper on September 18, 2020: Resident intern firefighter program adds two members
Learn more about Fire Science degrees at Southwestern here, or contact Tony Peters, Fire Science Associate Professor, at tony.peters@socc.edu, or 541-888-7296.
