December 24, 2019
Volume 1 | Issue 51
Your Weekly Commission Update
Community colleges play an important role in educating and training current and future generations of workers,
in addition to providing affordable and responsive higher education to thousands of Pennsylvanians every year.
Mom of 11 Among Community College Fire Fighter Trainees
"I wanted to be able to help people in the community around me," said new Wilkes-Barre firefighter Jessica Crawford, whose husband has served the department for 20 years. Ms. Crawford is one of six who recently began the 14-week firefighter training followed by four weeks of emergency medical technician training at the Luzerne County Community College Public Safety Training Institute.
Flexible EMS Certification Responds to Local Needs
Through a recent agreement with the Montgomery County Department of Public Safety’s Emergency Medical Services Training Institute, Montgomery County Community College now offers a unique educational career path option for certified Emergency Medical Services (EMS) providers.
Association Designates Guard-Friendly Schools (Story Two)
At its 2019 Pennsylvania National Guard Associations Awards Celebration, the organization announced 30 colleges and universities that have earned the inaugural PNGAS Guard-Friendly School designation. The Community College of Allegheny County, Montgomery County Community College, and HACC, Central Pennsylvania's Community College, were among those to receive the designation. 
Birthdays & Milestones
Our Birthday column will return the second week of January. Until then, we wish all you late December/early January babies a very happy Birthday.

Congratulations to Kristen Suhan , a Westmoreland County Community College student who is working towards a degree in Heating, Ventilation, Air Conditioning and Refrigeration (HVACR). Ms. Suhan is the recipient of a Work Ethic Scholarship from the Mike Rowe Works Foundation .