“Preparing First Responders” Program Receives a $10,000 Grant

Kaiser Permanente is in the business of saving lives. When they awarded $10,000 to Crafton Hills College’s Preparing First Responders Program, they did so as an investment into the education and training of the communities’ future First Responders, who keep citizens healthy, safe and secure. Crafton prepares highly skilled firefighters, paramedics, EMT’s and respiratory therapists. The college offers degree, certificate, and transfer opportunities for these in-demand occupations that are vital to the community. Kaiser Permanente’s grant will be used to help purchase new state-of-the-art training equipment for the College’s new Public Safety and Allied Health Building scheduled for completion in October 2015. “Kaiser Permanente has a social mission to care for the communities we serve. That mission extends to training first responders whose work is critical to our communities,” said Jennifer Resch-Silvestri, senior director of Public Affairs for Kaiser Permanente in San Bernardino County. Many of the allied health professionals in our region began their training at Crafton. “Crafton was a great foundation for Loma Linda University,” said Alumna Rayna Zaragoza, a fourth year nursing student at LLU. She credits the teachers and quality instruction received at Crafton for her success. “Kaiser Permanente understands the necessity for us to train students with the high standards set forth by their hospital and other local hospitals who depend on Crafton to meet their staffing needs,” states Dean of Career Education and Human Development June Yamamoto. “We appreciate the partnership we have with Kaiser Permanente.”