Hook and ladder school: Utah County teens learn firefighting skills
At the very moment Wednesday when many of Laini Roberts' classmates were sitting in history or biology classes, the Cedar Valley High senior was donning a helmet and firefighting gear and executing fire hose drills alongside full-time firefighters.
It's hard work — but Roberts, 17, couldn't fight back a smile.
'It's enjoyable, but it's definitely physically demanding,' she said.
Roberts is one of several Utah County high school students participating in Orem's Firefighting Career Program — a city-sponsored initiative that introduces local teens to the in-and-outs of the first responder profession.
Program cadets receive weekly job skills training from veteran Orem firefighters. They hop aboard engine ride-alongs and enjoy ground-level glimpses into the lives of firefighters and the fire station community.
Program participants also earn high school credit and garner valuable networking opportunities inside the firefighting community.
Orem Assistant Fire Chief Shaun Hirst said the department had hoped to broaden its fire prevention efforts by including education opportunities. So he and others began working with the Alpine School District to develop the high school initiative.
The city's semester-long Firefighting Career Program launched last fall.
Now Roberts and several other Utah County high schoolers are part of its current cohort. Each cadet receives about six weeks of ride-along time to supplement their basic fire skills training.
'We run it very similar to the recruit camp that we operate for our new hires,' Hirst explained. 'The (cadets) have skills that they have to pass off and benchmarks that they have to hit.
'Once they've done that, they ride along and go on actual scene calls.'
Several of the program cadets hope to become firefighters. Others are interested in nursing, EMT or other medical and public safety careers.
Orem's Firefighting Career Program also offers the department opportunities to get to know would-be firefighters and EMTs that might one day join them at one of Orem's fire stations.
'We tell them, 'Your job interview starts today',' said Hirst. 'We hope to hire one of these kids.'
Many cadets also boost their public speaking and communication skills at the graduation ceremony after completing Orem's Firefighting Career Program.
Hirst saluted the Orem City Council for funding the youth cadet program. It's not cheap. Each cadet is issued the same structural turnout gear as full-time firefighters.
Most agencies in Utah, according to Hirst, require firefighter candidates to have passed basic firefighter courses that include an EMT credential. Many enroll in the Utah Fire and Rescue Academy at Utah Valley University.
Those courses provide candidates with the basics of hazmat training, managing IDLH (Immediately Dangerous to Life or Health) environments, hydraulics and the mechanics of dousing a fire.
And, of course, firefighting's a physically demanding job — so candidates have to stay fit and know how to properly leverage weight.
Besides being introduced to firefighting 101, Orem's program cadets enjoy prized opportunities to connect with on-the-job firefighters serving their neighborhoods. Hirst said every firefighter he knows had someone who mentored them early in their careers. 'Seeing these new kids really helps our crews because it reminds us of why we joined the fire service.'
Mastering the job's technical basics such as unloading and attaching hoses to hydrants are essential. But the Orem cadets are also learning the intangibles that make a quality firefighter.
'Interpersonal skills, command presence and situational awareness are huge,' said Hirst.
Candidates also have to get along with others. Full-time firefighters spend a third of their working lives at the station or responding to calls with their colleagues.
'When we go through a hiring process, our crews get the first take on the hiring pool,' Hirst added. 'And if they don't feel like a person's coachable, or trainable, or unable to live with (fellow firefighters) for 48 hours, they don't move on.'
Roberts hopes to serve her community — and help her neighbors during 'their worst days.'
Orem's ongoing Firefighting Career Program has nudged her closer to becoming a firefighter. She plans to attend UVU's fire and rescue academy while pursuing her degree.
Roberts' points to her time training alongside Orem firefighters as a program highlight. 'It's been great to see how they do their job — and learn some of their tips and tricks.'
Timpview High School junior Jimmy Meservy said he's interested in a medical career — and firefighting 'was one that makes an immediate difference every single day.'
The 17-year-old added he 'loves the action' offered by Orem's firefighting career program — 'and I love the skills that I'm learning and the professionalism I'm building.
Like Roberts, Meservy plans to attend the UVU fire academy and build upon what he's learning as a cadet.
'I've loved going to the ride alongs with the ambulances and also in the fire engine,' he said. 'It's been amazing to meet patients and encounter real world situations where I can feel like I can make a difference.'
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