The School of Basic and Secondary Education Gonçalves Zarco in Funchal will introduce a professional firefighter technician course in the 2025/2026 academic year, in collaboration with the Regional Civil Protection Service (SRPC), it was announced today.
“This pioneering measure in the region will enhance the ability to attract future operatives to the fire brigade, broadening recruitment mechanisms for both voluntary service and professional firefighter careers,” stated the SRPC in a press release.
There are currently 13 candidates enrolled in the program, with the goal of forming a class of about 30 students.
The Regional Civil Protection Service noted that the course, offering dual certification (academic and professional), is aligned with the National Qualifications Catalog and aims to provide young people with technical training for a firefighting career at the secondary education level.
The project involves a team of teachers from Gonçalves Zarco School, the Training Division of the SRPC, and the Sappers Fire Brigade Company of Funchal, where practical training and daily operational integration will take place.
The training will span three academic years.
“This training has a professional incentive, given its high employability. It opens a new path, the beginning of a guaranteed success journey that can thrive in the future,” said SRPC President Richard Marques, as cited in the statement.
Meanwhile, the school board president, Ricardo Barcelos, also quoted in the statement, emphasized that the new course is an “innovative response aligned with the region’s real needs,” while Marco Gomes, the regional director of education, highlighted the importance of synergy between entities to “bring the school community closer to the local reality.”
