Utah Valley University is proud to establish the Utah Fallen First Responder Endowed Scholarship in honor of first responders who have died in the line of duty and to support those who will take up the mantel of service.

 

The Utah Fallen First Responder Endowed Scholarship provides financial support to students training to work in fire, rescue, and emergency medicine professions. This scholarship is made possible in part by a generous donation from the Firefighters Credit Union. Thomas Gourdin, president & CEO of the credit union explained, “Supporting this scholarship was an easy decision for us.  This scholarship honors those who have made the ultimate sacrifice in their service to the community.  Assisting the next generation of firefighters achieve their educational goals is consistent with the Credit Union's commitment to assist Utah's firefighters and their families achieve their financial goals.”

 

First responders risk their lives at every emergency call as they serve the public. According to the National Fire Protection Association in 2016, U.S. fire departments responded to an estimated 1.3 million fires. In addition to thousands of civilian deaths and injuries and more than $10 billion in property damage, there were 69 firefighter fatalities and over 62,000 non-fatal on-duty injuries.

 

Gratefully, line-of-duty deaths aren’t common, but they do occur in the course of protecting and preserving our communities. UVU provides specialized professional training in emergency services and prepares graduates to serve their communities through education designed to ready them to become proficient workers and future leaders in emergency services.

 

“The training is rigorous, demanding, and physically and academically challenging for the women and men in our programs,” stated Gary Noll, professor and department chair of Emergency Services at UVU. “Our students come from all walks of life. Many are first generation college students. Some leave careers to begin training to become emergency responders. Their desire to provide emergency services brings them to our programs – emergency service administration, firefighter training, paramedic, and emergency medicine.  They make great personal and financial sacrifices to prepare for this new career. Students fortunate enough to receive this scholarship will be greatly assisted.”

 

“It is a special breed of individual willing to risk her or his life with every call and we pay homage to those who forfeited their lives in the service of their communities,” commented Brad Wardle, director, Utah Fire & Rescue Academy. “Those firefighters who have fallen in the line of duty cannot be forgotten. This scholarship is a fitting way to pay tribute to their sacrifice. It will also help UVU effectively train our future firefighters for the challenges of protecting the public from the growing number of natural and manmade emergencies we hear about practically every day.”

 

Individuals and organizations interested in preserving the legacy of fallen first responders and aiding the next generations of emergency service workers may make a donation to the UVU Utah Fallen First Responder Endowed Scholarship at this web page: uvu.edu/give

 

 

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About Utah Valley University

At 37,282 students and growing, Utah Valley University is the largest public university in the state of Utah and one of a few in the nation offering a dual-mission model that combines the rigor and richness of a first-rate teaching university with the openness and vocational programs of a community college.

UVU’s unique model, which focuses on student success, engaged learning, rigorous academic programs and faculty-mentored research, is transforming higher education by making it more affordable and accessible to students of all backgrounds.