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HCC Trains the Counties' Medical, Fire, and Law Enforcement Officers

Haywood Community College’s Community & Economic Development Division works hard year after year to provide training and certification to Haywood County’s emergency medical service agencies, rescue squads, fire departments, and law enforcement agencies. In fact, since July 2006 in duplicated headcounts, HCC has trained over 2100 firefighters, over 2000 health personnel, and over 900 law enforcement officers. These professionals attended at least one of over 100 classes offered in each field of law, fire, or health classes.

HCC’s health and emergency classes are available at multiple community locations to ensure that all members of the community have access to certification and re-certification training opportunities.

For accessibility to residents of small rural communities, often volunteer firefighters, HCC offers fire training seminars at various fire departments throughout the county. This allows personnel to be trained as an organized group utilizing equipment they would use in controlling fires or rescue needs.

According to Canton Police Chief, Bill Guillet, “One of the advantages of having a local community college is that everybody works together to get what we need. We all know each other and everyone’s involved with the training. HCC always accommodates us.”

Guillet explains that if his officers are not able to attend classes offered by HCC, they must travel to different parts of the state. This results in overtime, time away from the job, and the added expense of travel, lodging, and food.

Scott Sutton, Maggie Valley Police Chief, agrees. “For any training the college is able to offer us, we save money. The more classes we can have close to home, the better off we are. Also, our officers are able to stay up to date when they are involved in teaching these courses.”

In addition to the mandated classes that are required by the Criminal Justice Training and Standards Commission, HCC also offers Basic Law Enforcement Training. Graduates from this program are well represented throughout all Haywood County law enforcement agencies. From the local police departments to the sheriff’s office, HCC graduates are on the job with 98% employed upon graduation.

According to Dee Parton, HCC Coordinator of Public Safety Training and part-time Waynesville Police Officer, HCC offers specialized training throughout the year. This training ranges from Spanish for Law Enforcement and Hostage Rescue, to Drug Intervention and Dealing with Special Populations such as Alzheimer’s patients and Autistic individuals.

“The training offered at HCC is a tremendous service to the law enforcement officials of Haywood County,” Parton said.

“The quality of training at HCC is great. It makes a huge difference for us to receive training there,” says Derek Dendy, Clyde Police Chief.

The same quality instruction is also provided to county fire departments. “We provide certified and qualified instructors with the majority of training on site with each department’s own trucks, station, and equipment,” explains Benjamin Lunsford, HCC’s Regional Fire Coordinator.

Recently, HCC offered a training pilot program for firefighters for agricultural rescue with Mountain Research Station. The rescue classes focused on farm machinery and accidents that may occur on a rural farm setting.

Whether it’s initial certification courses, refresher training, renewal courses, or specialized training, HCC offers quality and professional training to all of Haywood County’s emergency medical service agencies, rescue squads, fire departments, and law enforcement agencies.

“The training we receive at HCC is better training and more economical for all agencies,” Guillet says.

Ask your local law enforcement, fire, or emergency medical services officer how Haywood Community College works for them.

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