The Timmins Fire Department is short on volunteer firefighters and is in the midst of hiring.  It's also developed a unique partnership with Northern College, allowing students to be able to work alongside career firefighters.

Sarah Campbell is the dean of emergency services at Northern College. She oversees the school's pre-service firefighter program in Timmins.

Campbell is excited about the potential of a new partnership with the Timmins Fire Department.

"It's absolutely unique compared to other Ontario colleges.  As I mentioned, we have the IESC (Integrated Emergency Services Complex), we have the burn building on site, but we also have, from what I understand, the only incident command simulation equipment here in the new Integrated Services Emergency Complex. That allows students to work with other emergency services professional for incident command simulations." said Campbell.

Students who enroll in the one-year program in September will also have the opportunity to apply to work as a volunteer firefighter with the Timmins Fire Department as part of their education.

Timmins fire department officials, always in need of volunteers, say the students will fill an important void. 

Ellard Beaven is the Acting Chief for the Timmins Fire Department.

"They're receiving the same training that we would train our firefighters through our training division, so it's the same training. It's a benefit for us because someone else is performing that for us and we can move these people right into responding to calls." said Beaven.

Christian Mollens Koeneis a current pre-service firefighter student who will graduate soon.  Although he won't be able to take part in the new program, he sees the benefits.

“Maybe it's our first call; maybe it's our hundredth, but every time you're going to get an adrenaline rush, we'll remember it. It'll be muscle memory, so we won't necessarily have to remember the smaller things, because we'll just automatically do them." said Mollens Koene.

Officials say the added bonus is the students will be able to keep the jobs upon graduation if they so choose.