The Lexington Fire Department and Fayette County Public Schools hosted a ceremony to commemorate the donation of retired Engine 5, a 1986 Pierce Arrow, to the students and faculty in the Fire Service Pathway program at Eastside Technical Center. The truck has been on loan to Eastside Technical for the past six years. Still, officially the Engine was donated to the program at the beginning of this school year.
“This is a great contribution to the education of students at Eastside Technical Center,” Mayor Linda Gorton said. “With the donation of this fire engine, students will experience what it’s like to be firefighters … we hope one day here in Lexington.”
Eastside Technical Center offers specialized career-based training to high school students. “We are excited to grow this partnership and contribute to the development of future firefighters,” said Fire Chief Jason Wells. “The best part of our job is being able to share what we do with others in the community. We hope this will eventually come full circle, and we’ll have students who graduated from Eastside join our ranks.”
The Fire Service Pathway has 79 students enrolled from Fayette, Woodford, and Scott Counties. These students are provided real-world training in the fire service profession, with a substantial portion of the curriculum teaching hands-on skills. “Every child who enters the Fayette County Public Schools has unique strengths and talents. Our job as a school district is to provide each student with the experiences needed to fulfill their ultimate potential. FCPS offers a wide variety of specialized academic programs designed to meet our incredible students' diverse learning needs,” said Superintendent Demetrus Liggins. “The fire engine donation to Eastside Technical Center through the Lexington Fire Department and the City of Lexington is an excellent example of how thoughtful and innovative partnerships can help impact learning opportunities for all students.”
Eastside’s mission is to prepare students for entry-level technical occupations, two-year community and technical colleges, and four-year universities. Recently the name of the program changed from the Fire Science program to the Fire Service Pathway to better reflect its mission of producing exceptional candidates for first responders in our community. Engine 5 has faithfully served the Lexington community for 36 years and, in this new role, will be able to continue serving our city as a teacher for years to come, said Wells. Students are eligible to enroll in the Fire Service Pathway as freshmen, and those who complete the two-year program will earn certifications in Basic Life Support, Bleeding Control, CPR, and AED, as well as multiple FEMA certifications.
