Glendale Community College is hosting a Career Expo to help fill the staffing gap for first responders, in the fields of EMS and firefighting.

The EMS/Fire Career Expo takes place from noon to 3 p.m. Wednesday, Nov. 16 on GCC’s main campus in the Public Safety Sciences Building, at 6000 W. Olive Ave. The event will connect students and members of the community with companies, agencies and fire departments who are recruiting candidates.

“The need is so great right now that companies are getting creative in their hiring practices and new hire programs,” Rainier Perez, EMS program director at GCC said. “Several local ambulance companies will hire staff and pay them while they train, plus cover the cost of their training at Maricopa Community Colleges. Others are offering generous hiring bonuses.”

The career expo is open to anyone in the community interested in careers in EMS and firefighting. They can learn about the programs that GCC has to offer and how to get started; college advisors will be on hand to answer questions about curriculum and course options.

For students who have graduated, or are about to, there will be opportunities to meet with prospective employers.

Agencies from as far away as Las Vegas, Albuquerque and Memphis, Tennessee, will be on hand to meet with prospective candidates. Local companies and fire departments from Glendale, Goodyear, Peoria, Daisy Mountain, Phoenix, Goodyear, Buckeye and Sun City will also be represented.