PITTSBURGH-Allegheny County Council will honor recent graduates
of the Community College of Allegheny County FireVEST scholarship
program during the council's meeting scheduled to take place today
at 5:00 p.m. in the Gold Room of the Allegheny County Courthouse.
The 11 CCAC program graduates will be recognized for their academic
achievements and their commitment to serve as volunteer
firefighters in their respective communities for the next five
years.
A partnership between CCAC, the Allegheny County Executive and
the Allegheny County Fire Academy, the FireVEST scholarship program
provides scholarships to residents of Allegheny County who are
either current volunteers or who join a volunteer fire department
in Allegheny County. Individuals can join the program and receive a
full scholarship to CCAC in exchange for a five-year service
commitment as a volunteer firefighter within Allegheny County.
Since January 2009, more than 350 Allegheny County volunteer
firefighters have participated in this recruitment and retention
program whose purpose is to help keep Allegheny County's volunteer
fire companies staffed, well-trained and ready to respond. CCAC
graduates to be honored by Allegheny County Council are:
- · Jacqlyn Beetem -
Perrysville VFC
- · Brandon Chapman -
Stowe Township VFD
- · Brian Fink - Shaler
Villa VFC
- · Christian Halas -
Perrysville VFC
- · Dominique Kaplan -
West Deer VFC #3
- · Tyler Machajewski -
Millvale VFD
- · Ryan McGuire -
Bauerstown VFD
- · Joseph Trocki - West
Deer VFC #1
- · Amber Zellhart -
West Deer VFC #3
- · Megan Zellhart -
West Deer VFC #3
- · Thomas Zimmerman -
Bauerstown VFD
The graduates majored in programs such as Criminal Justice &
Criminology, Fire Science Administration, General Studies,
Accounting, Respiratory Therapy, Nursing and Automotive Technology.
Scholarship recipients can choose any CCAC degree program.
Among notable CCAC FireVEST graduates is Glenn Kopec Jr., a
resident of Plum Borough and member of the Unity VFD, who was
recently honored with a Firehouse Magazine Michael O.
McNamee Award of Valor. The award, which recognizes acts of courage
and bravery, including physical acts to rescue a victim in
hazardous conditions, was bestowed in recognition of Kopec's rescue
of two children who were trapped in a house fire in Plum in
February 2016. Kopec, who is employed at a local hospital, was able
to earn, at no cost to himself, an associate of science in Nursing
from CCAC Boyce Campus while receiving the highest level of
training at the Allegheny County Fire Academy through the FireVEST
program.
FireVEST applicants must apply and be accepted to CCAC; file for
federal and state financial aid; and complete the financial aid
process on time and in its entirety. Applications for the FireVEST
program are available on CCAC's website at ccac.edu, search
keyword"FireVEST," or by contacting the Allegheny
County Fire Academy at 412.931.3158, ext. 5. Applications for the
2018 spring term must be submitted or postmarked by November
15.
If awarded a scholarship, the recipient must meet the following
obligations:
- Serve as a volunteer firefighter for five years in Allegheny
County;
- Maintain an acceptable level of service as monitored by his or
her fire department;
- Complete required courses at the Allegheny County Fire Academy
and a course in first aid and CPR;
- Obtain Firefighter I Certification through the Allegheny County
Fire Academy;
- Maintain a minimum scholarship program cumulative grade point
average of 2.00 for the duration of his or her studies; and
- Repay a portion of the scholarship if service or academic
requirements are not met.
The FireVEST Advisory Board will review all applications and
other forms to assess scholarship eligibility and to determine
scholarship recipients. Being accepted into membership of the
sponsoring agency (volunteer fire company) and/or being accepted
for enrollment at CCAC does not guarantee the student will be
awarded a scholarship under the FireVEST program, nor does it
guarantee acceptance into limited-enrollment CCAC programs.
Instead, the recruitment needs of the sponsoring agencies are the
first priority when selecting scholarship recipients.
For additional information on the FireVEST program, contact the
Allegheny County Fire Academy at 412.931.3158, ext. 5 or firevest@alleghenycounty.us.