Agua Fria Union High School District students will continue receiving fire, rescue and emergency medical training under a contract approved by the district’s governing board Aug. 12.
The board awarded the Fire and Rescue/EMS Career and Technical Education instructional-services contract to Rescue Ready Education.
Estimated first-year expenditures are $90,000 and will be paid through the district’s Career and Technical Education budget.
The contract runs through June 30, 2027, with options for four additional one-year renewals.
The district issued a request for proposals June 11 and received one responsive proposal by the June 30 deadline. District administrators said Rescue Ready Education met all the qualifications outlined in the solicitation.
Students receive industry and community college credits
Students receive daily instruction from certified CTE teachers, including active-duty firefighters. The curriculum includes fire science, emergency medical training, industry terminology, clinical experience and ride-alongs with local fire departments.
Students can earn as many as 18 industry credentials and up to 31 community college credits through prior-learning agreements.
Courtney Rios, CEO and lead instructor for Rescue Ready Education, said a fire science associate degree generally requires 60 to 64 credits. Students who complete the Agua Fria program could therefore graduate from high school with nearly half the credits needed for the degree.
The program’s goal is to develop a local recruitment pipeline for fire departments and other emergency-service employers.
“We want to bring homegrown talent to each city,” Rios said. “We’re starting the kids young. We’re building them into what they need to be to be a firefighter and be successful in that career path.”
Students also receive interview preparation and opportunities to complete hospital clinical work. Rios said Rescue Ready operates the only high school EMT program in Arizona that includes hospital clinical experiences.
Senior year CTE pathway
During their senior year, students spend substantial time completing clinical assignments and ride-alongs rather than remaining exclusively in the classroom.
District officials said Rescue Ready Education supplies instructors and shared equipment, allowing Agua Fria to offer the program without using regular teaching positions at either high school.
Developing a new CTE pathway ordinarily requires the district to determine whether there is sufficient student and employer demand, find appropriate classroom and laboratory space, purchase industry-standard equipment and recruit qualified instructors.
Rescue Ready’s relationship with the Buckeye Fire Department helped the district meet several of those needs.
The board approved the contract with board member Sarah Silk abstaining.
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Meet Stacy Stacy Mantle is joining the team at Independent Newsmedia, Inc. as an Education Solutions journalist, thanks to a grant from the Arizona Community Collaborative. She has a long history in education that ranges from teaching junior high and middle school to developing curriculum and standards-based assessments.
Community: A longtime advocate for animal welfare, Stacy is deeply involved in rescue efforts and volunteers with several nonprofit organizations.
Random Fact: Once upon a time, she shared her home with a pet coyote and two wolf hybrids. The experiences were wild enough to become the subject of her first book!
Education: She holds a BA in English with a minor in Political Science, a Post-baccalaureate in Secondary Education, and an MBA with a emphasis on Marketing.
Hobbies: In her spare time, Stacy writes fast-paced urban fantasy novels, crafts small-batch artisan soap, and is always up for hiking or off-roading through the Arizona wilderness with her husband of 23 years.
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