Tumwater City Council renews training partnership with Tacoma Community College 

The City of Tumwater is renewing its long-standing agreement with Tacoma Community College to provide training opportunities for would-be paramedics.

Tumwater City Council authorized Mayor Leatta Dahlhoff to sign the agreement at a meeting on Tuesday, Jan. 20. 

The city’s Public Health and Safety Committee had previously reviewed the contract on Jan. 13 and recommended it for approval. 

At that meeting, Tumwater Fire Department Deputy Chief Shawn Crimmins said the agreement allows students in Tacoma Community College’s paramedic program to gain real-world experience by participating in ride-alongs with Tumwater firefighters. 

He said the college’s paramedic program is a year-long program. The ride-alongs typically take place from January to June, when students are required to do 27 shifts with a local fire department or private ambulance company. 

Crimmins said the partnership dates back to the 1990s and has served as a recruitment tool for the fire department. He added that both he and Fire Chief Brian Hurley are graduates of Tacoma Community College and benefited from the program. 

Crimmins noted that with the difficulty of hiring paramedics, the partnership allows trainees to see what it is like to work for the city. 

“This actually is a very beneficial way to let them see our fire department, see our culture, see the city and recruit them,” Crimmins said. 

The agreement will run for three years, after which it must be renewed.