Community, dedication and service. These three principles are what guide the LPC Fire Service Technology and Emergency Medical Services programs—a booming blue collar pathway at Las Positas. The program proved popular during sign-up for LPC’s New Hawk Day event: Fire protection course FST 1 required two sections to accommodate student interest.
That boom was more apparent than ever during the informational night for the FST and EMS programs held on March 25. Incoming starry-freshmen, parents and current students learned about the two programs and how to jumpstart their careers in the field. Leading the information session were fire Capt. George Freelen and fire Capt. Katy Erhardt, both of whom worked many years as firefighters and now spearhead the FST program at Las Positas.
The FST program is a semester-long program in which graduates take Fire Fighter I and II certification exams and receive the National Board on Fire Service Professional Qualifications. Both of which provide the tools and training needed to enter the workforce. The academy’s reputation has proven successful in landing students jobs post-graduation. It sets Las Positas’ FST program apart from other schools’ programs.
“Now those departments call back to us and say, ‘When are you about to graduate?’” Freelen said. “‘How many paramedics do you have? How old is your oldest EMT?’”
While the only prerequisites for the program are FST 1, EMS 20 and FST 7, Freelen and Erhardt encouraged prospective students to complete their associate degrees in Fire Service Technology to ensure success in getting hired and job mobility.
“We want you to graduate with a degree and move on from there, because education is something that can’t be taken away from you,” Freelen said.
The Emergency Medical Technicians basic program overlaps with the FST program, as fire service techs are required to take EMS classes. Associate degrees in Emergency Medical or Paramedic Sciences are offered for students interested in healthcare-related fields. LPC also offers Emergency Medical Responder and EMT Certificates, the former designed for students intending to work as a lifeguard, police officer or firefighter and the latter geared toward students interested in working as EMTs.
The EMT pathway contains several courses that set students up to obtain certificate. It also permits students to take the practical part of the National Registry of Emergency Medical Technicians test, a key part in obtaining an EMT license.
“You can start that path as a firefighter, nursing—a lot of jobs in the medical field are opened up to you if you take that path,” Freelen said. “This is a job that’ll be there taking care of other people, serving the citizens. That’s never gonna go away, and can take you in many different ways.”
Both the FST and EMS pathways place importance on getting students into the workforce, but from there they can continue in a variety of ways. Ulyssa Almadra, a freshman majoring in Fire Science Technology, said she was initially drawn in by the military: “After I get my associate degree, I want to become an officer for the Marine Corps.”
There are several other jobs within fire service outside of firefighting, and the FST program in no way limits students entering the field. Erhardt emphasized this, saying, “You can be a dispatcher, or you can go into fire prevention or (be) a forester.”
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TOP PHOTO: From left to right, Justin Petlansky, Payton Busevac, Seth Warren, and Daniel Havelka speak on their experiences as students in the fire service technology and emergency medical services program at LPC in room 1011 on Mar. 25, 2026. The aspiring firefighters share tips and insights to prospective students looking to get into the fire service technology and EMS program at LPC. (Photo by Eric Liang/The Express)
Manahil Bajwa is a staff writer for The Express. Follow her on Instagram @manahilbajLPC.
