The Manitoba Emergency Services College (MESC) is an emergency services training facility located in Brandon, Manitoba

Brandon, Manitoba

Brandon is the second largest city in Manitoba, Canada, and is located in the southwestern area of the province. Brandon is the largest city in the Westman region of Manitoba. The city is located along the Assiniboine River. Spruce Woods Provincial Park and CFB Shilo are a relatively short distance...

. It offers educational programs for current or potential firefighters and paramedics.

The MESC is governed by the Office of the Fire Commissioner. Selected courses are available online, but most are delivered at the facility in Brandon.

History

The MESC was first opened as the Manitoba Fire College in 1985. At that time, it served as a training facility for professional firefighters. The school changed its name to Manitoba Emergency Services College in 1994. Since its founding, over 900 people have graduated from the program.

Programs

There are multiple training streams available at MESC. The majority of students complete one of the two Public Programs: the Public Fire Paramedic Program (PFPP) or the Public Emergency Responder Certificate Program (PERC). PFPP is a 10-month diploma program that accepts 40 students per year. It includes courses in fire-fighting, primary care paramedicine, pump-truck operation, water rescue, hazardous material management, safety education, fire inspection, incident command, rescue practices, vehicle extrication, and career skills. PERC is a 6-month paramedic certification program held in Winnipeg. It includes courses in primary care paramedicine, ambulance operation, hazardous material management, incident command, rescue practices, career skills, and trauma care.

Other programs offered by MESC include search-and-rescue, canine search-and-rescue, and applied disaster and emergency studies certificates.

Accreditation

MESC has 29 accredited courses: 28 accredited by the National Fire Protection Association

National Fire Protection Association

The National Fire Protection Association is a United States trade association that creates and maintains private, copywrited, standards and codes for usage and adoption by local governments...

, and one by the Canadian Medical Association

Canadian Medical Association

The Canadian Medical Association , with more than 70,000 members, is the largest association of doctors in Canada and works to represent their interests nationally. It formed in 1867, three months after Confederation...

. The college as a whole has had International Fire Service Accreditation Congress (IFSAC) accreditation since 1994 and received National Board on Fire Service Professional Qualifications (ProBoard) accreditation in 2010.