Northcentral Technical College Fire + EMS Training

NTC EMS Program Director Will Isham Named 2025 Educator of the Year, Leads Innovative Growth in Paramedic Program | Northcentral Technical College When Will Isham talks about the Emergency Medical Technician - Paramedic program at Northcentral Technical College (NTC), he doesn’t start with data or metrics; his focus is on people – students balancing jobs and families and rural communities wondering who will answer the call in an emergency.

Time is running out to get registered for classes this semester.

Today is a great day to finish your registration for Spring 2026 fire classes. If you missed out on certification testing in the Fall we are running an extra firefighter 1 and firefighter 2 test in a couple of weeks!

Yesterday was a bittersweet day for the Fire Program at NTC as we said “see you later” to our longtime fire faculty member, Kyle L**h.

For the past 9½ years, Kyle has been a cornerstone of our program, dedicating himself to shaping the next generation of firefighters across Northcentral Wisconsin and beyond. His passion for teaching, commitment to excellence, and wealth of institutional knowledge have left a lasting impact on our students, our program, and our community.

While we are incredibly grateful for his years of service and leadership, we’re happy to say this isn’t goodbye. Kyle will continue to share his expertise with us as an adjunct instructor, and we couldn’t be more thankful for that.

Thank you, Kyle, for everything you’ve given to NTC and the fire service—we wish you continued success in your next chapter!

For our community partners: We will begin working on the Summer and Fall 2026 class schedules the beginning of January. Now is a great time to put in class requests if your area has a specific need. Please use the following link to submit your class requests.

ntcforms.formstack.com

Spring fire classes are open for registration now! You can check out our class schedule here: https://www.ntc.edu/academics-training/courses/search?f%5B0%5D=course_subject%3A27&f%5B1%5D=term%3A2411

Congratulations to our very own Will Isham! Will has been recognized by the Wisconsin EMS Association as the 2025 Instructor of the Year. Every day we see the dedication that he has to not only our students but to EMS education statewide. We are proud to have you on the team at NTC!

Please join us in congratulating the recipients of the 2025 Excellence in Service Awards! These awards honor EMS professionals and organizations across Wisconsin who exemplify dedication, innovation, clinical excellence, and exceptional service to their communities.

We will recognize this year’s honorees during the 40th Annual WEMSA Conference & Expo on Friday, February 6, 2026, at Stadium View Bar & Grill in Green Bay. We hope to see you there!

🏆 EMS Service of the Year: Cross Plains Area EMS

🏆 EMR of the Year: Cheryl Gassman, Monroe Fire Department

🏆 EMT of the Year Lance Thomas, Waupun Fire & Rescue

🏆 AEMT of the Year: Jackey Postuchow, Plum Lake EMS

🏆 Paramedic of the Year: Adam Meshak, Amherst Fire District

🏆 Educator of the Year: Will Isham, Northcentral Technical College

🏆 Support Champion of the Year: Dr. Stephanie Post, Milwaukee ER & Hospital (nominated by Jackson Fire Department)

🏆 Director of the Year: Robert Kirkley, Aspirus MedEvac

🏆 Lifetime Achievement Award: Christopher Hecht, Sister Bay & Liberty Grove Fire Department

Want to learn more about these outstanding individuals and organizations? Read the full announcement here:
🔗 https://www.wisconsinems.com/news/the-wisconsin-ems-association-announces-excellence-in-service-awards-for-2025

Mother Nature was really putting on a show for the night firefighter 1 class at the Merrill Public Safety Center of Excellence last night.

October 8, 1871, marks 154 years since the deadliest forest fire in U.S. history tore through Peshtigo, Wisconsin. 🔥

The summer and autumn of sparse rainfall left the forests dangerously dry. When a wildfire ignited, fierce winds carried it through the town and across surrounding counties. In total, the flames consumed 280,000 acres across Oconto, Marinette, Shawano, Brown, Kewaunee, Door, Manitowoc, and Outagamie counties. Around 1,500 lives were lost, 7,500 people were left homeless, and the town of Peshtigo was nearly wiped out.

Though it occurred on the same day as the more widely remembered Chicago Fire, the Peshtigo Fire remains the most destructive forest fire in American history.

Peshtigo Fire Museum, an affiliate of the Wisconsin Historical Society, preserves the story of this tragedy through exhibits, archives, and educational programs. Onsite, the memorial marker at the Peshtigo Fire Cemetery honors the victims and holds the distinction of being Wisconsin’s first official state historical marker, placed by the citizens of Peshtigo in 1951.

📸: Map shows area impacted by fire on Oct. 8, 1871 | WHI Image ID 101577

With today marking the start of Fire Prevention Week here is an interesting article giving departments some resources on how they can leverage AI in their public safety efforts.

Fire fun fact: Each year Fire Prevention Week falls on the week (Sunday-Saturday) of October 9th. The Great Chicago fire started on October 8th and did most of it's damage on October 9th which is how Fire Prevention Week is picked every year. Does anyone know what major fire also burned in Wisconsin on October 8th? It was right near here in northeast Wisconsin.

Fire Prevention Week: 10 ways AI can support your community outreach Whether you need data-driven outreach or just better graphics, AI offers practical ways to strengthen your prevention messages