|
Teens spend summer weekend training in fire prevention
Five Cal-Mum teens spent a summer weekend in July learning fire prevention skills at a training center in the Finger Lakes. Matthew Heins, Tim Beavers, Sarah Gray, Marshall Oberer and Rob Lysko are members of Explorer Post 4027, Caledonia Fire Department and along with their advisors, Mike O’Mara, Pam SinClair and Tim Hogle, the teens spent 48 hours at the New York State Office of Fire Prevention and Control training facility located in Montour Falls, NY. A total of about 50 Explorers from Western New York attended the training weekend. The Explorer’s were kept very busy throughout the two day training with a variety of hands-on experiences that included learning the proper procedure for entering a smoke filled room, fire extinguisher use, a ladder and sprinkler demonstration, demonstration by an arson dog and extrication training, among several others. The group also took part in C-Pat and turnout gear competitions. C-Pat training is part of the test that professional firefighters must successfully pass. Sixteen-year-old Matthew Heins of Caledonia earned the state record by completing the endurance course that included running and dragging the hose, in 19.6 seconds. He’s been an Explorer for one year. "My dad is a past fire chief. I joined the Explorers because I want to help people," the teen said. Sarah Gray joined the Explorers just two months ago but performed very well in the weekend competitions, the advisors said. Both her father and brother are Caledonia firefighters. She said there were an equal number of girls and boys at the fire academy training weekend. She likes training in CPR and first aid in addition to the fire prevention training she receives at the bi-weekly meetings. Sixteen-year-old Tim Beavers has been an Explorer for three years and says he really enjoyed the weekend of training. "My dad was a firefighter and I want to become a professional firefighter. I was the command officer for the rapid extrication drill. That was pretty cool," Beavers commented. Caledonia Fire Department started the Explorer Post in 1992 primarily so that the children of the volunteer firefighters, teens between the ages of 14 and 21, could spend more time with their parents. O’Mara, a Caledonia firefighter, got involved with advising the teens in 1995 and says he really enjoys working with the Explorers. SinClair works with the Explorers at their meetings but also serves as the post administrator. She, too, says this group of teens is a pleasure to spend time with. Hogle had just stepped down from advising a youth organization in Batavia, NY when O’Mara asked him to help out with the Explorer Post. After hesitation, Hogle said he agreed and is very glad he did, adding that this is an impressive group of young people that inspire each other and also their advisors. The Explorers held several fundraisers to earn the money to get to fire academy. They and their advisors plan to return to the training facility in two years. By that time, some of the Explorers will be old enough to become full volunteer firefighters. O’Mara says he is pleased to say that the large majority of the Explorers do, in fact, go on to become volunteer firefighters with Caledonia or a neighboring fire department. The Academy of Fire Science in Montour Falls, NY hosts police, fire and Explorer groups from around the state for training in many areas including hazardous materials, arson investigation and general fire service training. The general fire service training areas include fire suppression, technical rescue, fire equipment maintenance, incident command, fire instructor development, fire officer development, firefighter health and safety, dispatcher training, emergency medical technician (EMT), EMT refresher, and EMT pilot core material training. State sponsored National Fire Academy (NFA) courses are also available.
|
