Peoria’s Collegiate Mentoring Program, a.k.a “Red Shirt Program”, is designed to provide aspiring fire fighters a chance to participate in the jobs and duties that they will encounter on a daily basis in their future careers. On a limited basis, they will work along side veteran fire fighters to gain work experience and exposure to the organizational culture. The information and experience gained through this program can be invaluable in helping the participants make an educated decision regarding whether or not to pursue firefighting as a career. The Red Shirt Program closely aligns itself with the Peoria Fire Department’s philosophy of succession planning: “Help develop those who will replace us.”

Selection for the program, which also provides the candidates sponsorship into the Glendale Community College Fire Operations (Firefighter I & II) Class, is based on a 500 word essay. Essays are accepted once annually, in May. Essays must cover the following:

- Tell us about yourself
- Why do you want to be part of the program
- Why the Peoria Fire Department should sponsor you

Essays can be turned in at the Peoria Fire Department reception desk in the Public Safety Administration Building located at 8351 West Cinnabar. The essays will be ranked at the end of June. The top 20 candidates will be selected, 10 for sponsorship in the fall semester and 10 for the spring semester.

Students sponsored for the GCC Fire Operations Program through the PFD will be required to volunteer a minimum of eight hours per month with the Department. This requirement must be maintained for the duration of the class.

Each student sponsored by the PFD will be assigned a firefighter as their mentor. These firefighters are available to answer questions or provide training on firefighting tasks and skills.

For more information you can call the Peoria Fire Department Training Division at 623-773-7911 or click here to visit the Red Shirt website.