TO: Honorable Mayor & Members of the North Port Commission
FROM: A. Jerome Fletcher II, ICMA-CM, MPA, City Manager
TITLE: Approve the Affiliation Agreement for Clinical Practice Between the City of North Port, Florida, and The School District of Manatee County, Florida, to Permit Students Enrolled in the School District's Health Science Programs at Manatee Technical College to Ride-Along With North Port Fire Rescue Crews.
Recommended Action
Option 1: Approve the Affiliation Agreement for Clinical Practice Between the City of North Port, Florida, and The School District of Manatee County, Florida, to permit students enrolled in the School District's Health Science Programs at Manatee Technical College to ride-along with North Port Fire Rescue Crews.
City Commission Options
Option 1: Approve the Affiliation Agreement for Clinical Practice Between the City of North Port, Florida, and The School District of Manatee County, Florida, to permit students enrolled in the School District's Health Science Programs at Manatee Technical College to ride-along with North Port Fire Rescue Crews.
• Pros: Provides an opportunity for North Port Fire Rescue (NPFR) to showcase its fire stations, equipment, and personnel and provides Manatee Technical College (MTC) emergency medical students an opportunity to better determine NPFR for future employment. This Affiliation Agreement for Clinical Practice also provides North Port residents and employees who are attending MTC as a student an opportunity to complete their clinical rotations within their own community and allows NPFR personnel to be part of the MTC student’s learning experience.
• Cons: Staff were unable to find a negative result in approving the Affiliation Agreement for Clinical Practice.
Option 2: Deny the Affiliation Agreement for Clinical Practice Between the City of North Port, Florida, and The School District of Manatee County, Florida, to permit students enrolled in the School District's Health Science Programs at Manatee Technical College to ride-along with North Port Fire Rescue Crews.
• Pro: Staff were unable to find a positive result in denying the Affiliation Agreement for Clinical Practice.
• Con: Students of MTC will not be permitted to complete clinical ride-alongs with the NPFR. This would include current NPFR employees that may choose MTC’s Paramedic Program due to limited space in paramedic programs provided at Suncoast Technical College (STC).
Background Information
The Affiliation Agreement for Clinical Practice with the School District of Manatee County (Manatee Technical College) allows students enrolled in Emergency Medical Service (EMS) Programs at Manatee Technical College (MTC) to receive valuable observation of clinical experiences and training aspects of healthcare with North Port Fire Rescue.
For over 20 years, North Port Fire Rescue has successfully participated in a similar program with Suncoast Technical College. This allows North Port Fire Rescue to interact with potential future employees as well as current employees attending paramedic school and evaluate their training in real life settings.
The Affiliation Agreement for Clinical Practice Between the City of North Port, Florida, and The School District of Manatee County, Florida, to permit students enrolled in the School District's Health Science Programs at Manatee Technical College to ride-along with North Port Fire Rescue Crews has been reviewed by the City Attorney and is legally correct as to form.
The Affiliation Agreement for Clinical Practice Between the City of North Port, Florida, and The School District of Manatee County, Florida, to permit students enrolled in the School District's Health Science Programs at Manatee Technical College to ride-along with North Port Fire Rescue Crews was provided to the City Clerk’s Office on December 8, 2025, for signature, subject to City Commission approval.
Strategic Plan Pillar
Safe Community
Financial Impact
Not applicable.
Procurement
Not applicable.
Attachments:
1. Affiliation Agreement - School District of Manatee County
Prepared by: Nick Herlihy, Deputy Fire Chief
Department Director: Scott Titus, Fire Chief