St. Lucie County Fire District News Release

Contact: Catherine Whitaker

Public Information Officer, St. Lucie County Fire District

cwhitaker@slcfd.org

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
May 22, 2007

High School Students Learn About Firefighting Firsthand

from St. Lucie County Fire District

Fort Pierce, FL - St. Lucie County Fire District Explorer Post #448 is a small band of high school students interested in fire and emergency services. The post has been in existence for about eight years, but in recent years the group has grown to 17 people, with five more joining soon.

"It is a great group of students with a thirst for knowledge about the fire service and emergency medical training," explained Firefighter-Paramedic Eric Wright, the Post's Advisor for the past three years.

The Post meets twice a month at the IRCC Fire Academy. During their meetings, members learn the basics for both fire fighting and emergency medical training. With new people joining throughout the year, senior members are recruited to teach the new recruits.

In addition, members are required to complete a minimum of 12 hours of Field Ride Time (FRT) per month. This allows them to ride along with firefighters and experience what they do.

"It's like having your learners permit," said Kaitlin Snyder-Taylor when describing the ride along time. "And you learn so much."

All of the explorers agree the adrenaline kicks in when on a ride along and they have really enjoyed the experience. Many have clocked more than the required hours.

"The program gives these students a glimpse of the future, and let's them see if this is really something they can actually handle," said Deputy Chief Chris Bushman, who administers the program.

The Explorer program evolved from the Boy Scouts of America (BSA). In the 1930's the BSA began a Senior Scouting Program, but over time it changed to a more career-oriented co-educational program. Today the Explorer Posts are managed by Learning for Life, a wholly owned subsidiary of BSA. The purpose is to provide experiences to help young people mature and prepare them to become responsible and caring adults. The program includes activities to help youth pursue their special interests, grow and develop.

Explorer groups have formed for several different professions including Aviation, Science, Trade, Law Enforcement, as well as Fire/EMT. The Fire/EMT specialty is endorsed by International Association of Fire Chiefs, National Volunteer Fire Council, and the U.S. Fire Administration National Fire Academy. Posts are organized around interests in fire/emergency services, civil defense, first aid/ambulance corps, fire fighting, rescue service, paramedic, EMT, and volunteer fire fighting.

The St. Lucie County Explorers are part of the Gulf Stream Council, which includes Palm Beach, Martin, St. Lucie, Okeechobee, parts of both Glades and Henry Counties. There are 35 posts in the region attracting 970 members.

To become an Explorer you must:

Be between the ages of 15-18, or 14 and in the 9 th grade;

Have reliable transportation to the explorer events;

Be able to attend ALL explorer related events;

Live in St. Lucie County;

Be able to perform physical activities (firefighting activities);

Be willing to work as a TEAM;

Have time to study for tests and pass successfully.

In addition, students must carry at least a 2.0 grade point average and they are required to bring a copy of their report card to the advisor for his files.

The members also participate in several competitions throughout the year, including FIREMATICS. During competition they have a variety of individual and team tasks including an old fashioned bucket brigade, hose rollout, and a midnight search & rescue.

In addition a national competition takes place in Gatlinburg, Tenn. for four days in January. This attracts 600 competitors from around the county who compete in individual and team events.

The Explorer's Post accepts contributions to offset the cost of travel to competitions. If you would like to contribute, or you are interested in joining the post, contact Eric Wright at ewright@slcfd.org.

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