The Memorandum of Understanding between Clay County District Schools and Clay County Fire Rescue (CCFR) provides a CCFR employee to teach Orange Park High School’s Emergency Medical Responder/Fire Fighting program for the remainder of the 2024-2025 school year.

Clay County, like other Florida counties, is experiencing a shortage of teachers. Orange Park High School has been unable to fill the open position for the Fire Fighting/Emergency Medical Responder program.  Clay County School District’s Career and Technical Education Department has a strong partnership with Clay County Fire and Rescue where CCFR has provided guest speakers, Basic Life Support (BLS) training, field trips, and ride-alongs for CTE students.  CCFR has a great interest in promoting and increasing awareness of careers in fire fighting and emergency medicine to create a pipeline for the next generation of emergency professionals.  CCFR and surrounding counties are experiencing growth and retirements, increasing the need for emergency professionals.  Therefore, due to the lack of instructors in the OPHS’s Fire Fighting/EMR program, CCFR has agreed to provide one of their employees to teach the class for the remainder of the 2024-2025.

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Approval of this item will allow Orange Park High School to have a full-time teacher for the Emergency Medical Responder/Fire Fighting program.  Currently, there is a long-term substitute in the classroom and partnering with Clay County Fire and Rescue will provide students with a teacher with real-world experience who can give them hands-on experience for their future.

Strategy 1.3:  Prepare all students to be full option graduates who are prepared for college, eligible to enlist in military services, or able to compete in the workforce.

Approval of Memorandum of Understanding between Clay County District Schools and CCFR.