In 2024, NTC was one of four recipients of a $25,000 Youth Firefighter Training grant from the Wisconsin Department of Safety and Professional Services (DSPS). The grant helped fund the Youth Firefighter Academy. Grant partners included the volunteer Central Fire and EMS District and Colby and Abbotsford high schools. 

“The academy provides high school students with invaluable experience in exploring a career area and supports local industry in generating student interest,” said Crystal Witt-Whybrow, Student Services and K-12 Specialist. “One unique aspect of this academy is the hands-on experience it provides students to engage with the real-world aspects of public service.” 

Over the academic year, students in the Fire/EMS Academy attended class with NTC instructors that immersed them in fire behavior, firefighting tactics, hazardous materials operations and emergency medical response. 

“The instructors were very understanding and work with us well,” said Kya Rinehart.  

Kya started working at a local station while she was still in school. She graduated from Colby High School this spring.  

Students gained real-world experience practicing critical skills such as search and rescue, fire suppression and patient assessment. The program gives students a competitive advantage, whether they choose to enter the workforce after high school or pursue further education in emergency services. 

“It puts you ahead of the game,” said Wyatt Steinman.  

Wyatt will be a senior at Colby High School this coming fall. He was able to participate in the academy as a junior, and he hopes to eventually work full time at a fire department. 

Instruction aligned with both state and national standards, providing students the chance to earn seven college credits. After completing the academy, students met the requirements for Firefighter 1 certification with the State of Wisconsin and were prepared for the National Registry EMR written exam.  

Bryson Cruise, Fire & EMS Learning Coordinator at NTC, led instruction for the academy, and he said he was very excited to teach the first cohort of high school students. His love for the fire service also started when he was in high school.  

“Growing up back then there wasn’t much in the way of pathways available for those with an interest in public safety to get their foot in the door or begin to learn what it was like,” he said. “Not only did this program allow departments to find, recruit and retain new younger members, but now these students have the unique opportunity to be ambassadors and role models to other younger students to help share their knowledge about the fire service.” 

For students who decide emergency services are a career path they would like to continue following, graduates are able to become firefighters or first responders – both in high demand across the state.  

“We were lucky to have fantastic partnerships with Central Fire and EMS District and the Colby School District to ensure we had fantastic learning environments for the students,” Bryson said.  “Central Fire and EMS also eliminated one of the biggest hurdles that we anticipated having: a location to do practical skills with the students.”  

This May, the college was again awarded a grant to continue the program, and the plan is to expand the academy to students in Colby as well as Antigo this coming school year to give more students the opportunity to explore a career in emergency services.  

“One of the most rewarding things about class was watching these students learn to work together as a team,” Bryson said. “They also learned to push their own boundaries and learn what they are truly capable of.”