Seneca College RED 2019 - 41

GIVING
BACK

$1.157 M
Amount disbursed
to students in donorfunded awards

Igniting the next generation
of fire protection students

Industry partners
support the future

PHOTO: JOANNE RATAJCZAK

IN SENECA'S FIRE PROTECTION LAB,

you will find various models of
alarms, sprinkler systems, fire
extinguishers and exposed
pipes. Under the guidance of
professors and industry experts,
students in the Fire Protection
Engineering Technology and
Fire Protection Engineering
Technician programs work with
advanced fire protection equipment and receive hands-on
experience in the design and
installation of fire protection
systems. They learn the
mechanics, design, codes and
implementation techniques to
keep our communities safe from
the risk of fire. Graduates go on
to pursue careers as firefighters,
alarm designers, fire code consultants and sprinkler designers,
to name a few.
Seneca offers leading North
American programs for fire

prevention education. They
have garnered the support of
many industry partners, and
because of that, our students
have more access to financial
support than most Seneca
students.
"We are very fortunate to
have a close-knit community
among our alumni and within
the fire protection industry
overall," says Scott Pugsley,
Professor and School of Fire
Protection Industry Co-ordinator. "With a program built
around fire and life safety, there
is often a sense of helping out
that extends beyond our mission."
Organizations like the
Institution of Fire Engineers,
Canada Branch, and Legacy
Fire Protection have set up
scholarships to support students
who have demonstrated a
commitment to the field of fire

protection. The Rioux Fire Protection FPT Award, established
by alumnus Micheal Rioux,
honours academic and extracurricular achievements. Sometimes donors are motivated to
give in an effort to pay it forward,
but in many cases, creating
an award helps increase their
brand awareness and assists in
recruitment efforts.
"With many students paying
for their own education, these
awards provide tremendous
financial support," Pugsley says.
"They provide great industry
recognition and help to shine a
spotlight on those students that
are doing great work."
In addition to financial support, many fire protection organizations have collaborated
with Seneca to assist with
course development, hire coop students, attend career fairs,

deliver presentations to classes
and donate fire protection
equipment.
"There are so many different
and impactful ways to become
involved with our program that
nothing should be overlooked
or considered too small,"
Pugsley says. "Donors can make
a tangible connection and help
students for years to come."

We are very fortunate
to have a close-knit
community among
our alumni and within
the fire protection
industry overall.

Pictured above: Derek Gruchy,
Sue Taylor and Scott Pugsley.

RED

2019

41
Seneca College RED 2019

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Seneca College RED 2019
