Fired Up!

Perry Area Fire Rescue is a part of the Southwest Shiawassee Emergency Services Alliance, which serves southern Shiawassee County.  They respond 24 hours a day, seven days a week, to structural fires, medical calls, emergencies, and natural disasters. The operation employs over 40 full-time, part-time, and on-call first responders.

When this busy facility needed an Administrative Assistant, they reached out to GST Michigan Works! Owosso Service Center to help find the right person to fill the opening. Through job posting and employer-led searches, a suitable candidate was identified and hired.  The new Administrative Assistant, Rita, worked with a GST Michigan Works! Career Coach and received supportive services to assist her as she started her new career.  GST Michigan Works! provided new work clothing, enabling Rita to get a head start on her new career without causing her financial strain.

Rita shared, “I really appreciated the assistance I received from GST Michigan Works! Their support helped me move from part-time to full-time employment with benefits. It was a great experience!” 

Since this work environment is very different from many other jobs, further training was needed to function in an emergency-focused business.  Training included how to work with emergency runs, staff information, billing, and other specifics related to working in a fire department.  Perry Area Fire Rescue received $2,600.00 in WIOA On-the-Job-Training (OJT) funds to help offset the cost of training their new hire in these areas.  Being able to use these dollars reduced the burden of training costs to the non-profit organization. 

“Working with Chris from GST Michigan Works! has been a wonderful experience. The onboarding process was smooth, and we were excited to partner with a program that supports our new hires during their first 90 days of employment.

This program provides employees with an additional layer of support as they transition into their new roles, allowing them to focus on learning and succeeding while knowing they have someone outside of the workplace to turn to if needed. We appreciate GST Michigan Works! commitment to helping new employees build confidence and achieve long-term success,” stated Teri Mogg, HR & Administrative Services Coordinator, Perry Area Fire Rescue.