From riding in the cab of a fire truck to gearing up with the crew, high school graduates are embracing a career in fire safety through the fire department’s Fire Explorer program.
Fueling a passion
Violet Township Fire Department
Touch a Truck
Established in the late 1970s, the Fire Explorer program of the Violet Township Fire Department has empowered many individuals to pursue lifelong careers in fire safety.
An opportunity designed for high school students, the program has evolved throughout its time, but it has remained a constant opportunity for students to explore.
Students, ages 16-18, can join this program before high school graduation, earning the opportunity to do a ride-along, meet and shadow the team, get hands-on training and experience a day in the life of a firefighter.
The program is a great stepping stone for attending the fire academy to get certified, as students have become familiar with putting on and wearing the gear and breathing in the air, as well as having experience with CPR training.
Often, the ride-along indicates to the students whether they feel drawn to this career path. Some realize it is not what they expected based on what they had seen in shows such as Chicago Fire or 9-1-1. For others it exhibits exactly how impactful the profession is.
Chain reaction
Violet Township Fire Department
VTFD training
Many members of the Violet Township Fire Department have been a part of the program themselves, with more than 10 active members who joined the team through the Fire Explorer program.
Newly-appointed Fire Chief Brett Bowen and Assistant Fire Chief Jason Smith are two prime examples. The pair grew up in Pickerington, graduated from Pickerington High School in 2001 and 2000 and played football together before becoming fire explorers.
Bowen was sold on a career in fire safety from his first ride-along. Suggested to the program by the late Lieutenant John Eisel, Bowen stepped into the truck and didn’t look back.
“Once I got in here and started hanging out with the crews and going on runs and that sort of thing, I decided that this is the route I wanted to go in the future once I got out of high school,” Bowen says.
Smith was initially drawn to the program because he was fascinated with fire safety after seeing fire trucks around town on calls or for events, but the ride-alongs and team camaraderie made him stay.
“You see a lot of athletes, or a lot of people that are part of teams when they’re in high school, get attracted to this career, because you’re very rarely, if ever, independent,” Smith says. “You’re always working as a team, and part of that for me was being part of a team and working on different projects together and trainings, and once (I) started doing our ride-alongs and being here more and more, there was not a doubt in my mind that this was what I wanted to do.”
Violet Township Fire Department
Safety City 2023
Other ways to learn safety
The fire department offers additional resources for learning safety beyond the hands-on nature of the fire explorer program.
From online resources about CPR and first aid training through the American Heart Association to the fire department’s trailer you can find at local events, there are several opportunities to learn more about these safety tips.
Visit www.violet.oh.us to learn more.
October is Fire Safety Awareness Month, here are a few fire safety tips from your fire chiefs:
Devices/tools
Smoke detectors: should be in every bedroom, hallway and one on each floor, including the basement, tested once a month and replaced after 10 years or if they don’t respond during testing.
- It can be suited to accommodate disabilities, such as ones that are bed vibrating or have strobe lights for people who are hard of hearing or deaf.
- It’s also important to have a carbon dioxide detector – some smoke detectors may have this incorporated, but it is important to ensure that you have a carbon dioxide detector in some capacity on every floor and especially near sleeping areas.
Violet Township Fire Department
VTFD fire truck
Extinguishers: should always be readily available in the kitchen.
- Check the expiration date to ensure it hasn’t lost pressure – the pressure level should be in the green zone, and if not, it should be replaced.
- If you ever need to use it, remember the term PASS:
- Pull the pin
- Aim at the base of the fire
- Squeeze the lever
- Sweep side-to-side
Prevention tips
- If you are frying a bird for any upcoming holidays, make sure not to overfill your pot so you avoid an overflow of oil onto an open flame.
- Sleeping with your bedroom door closed can help contain airflow and mitigate the spread of a fire.
- Do not leave things charging, cooking or heating unattended (i.e.: items with lithium batteries, candles, ovens, etc.).
- Do not leave combustible materials, such as pizza boxes or plastic plates, on the stovetop or in the oven.
A few reactionary tips
- Know two secure ways to get out of the house and have a safe meeting place designated for your family.
- If you are on the second floor and unable to get out, throw an item out of the window to alert the first responder that you are upstairs.
- Close doors where you can to disrupt air flow, and shove towels or clothes under the doors to block airflow as well.
Save the Date
Fire Prevention Annual Open House
Sun., Oct. 12
1-3 p.m.
8700 Refugee Rd.
The Fire Department is hosting its annual open house on fire prevention, which will include stations for dragging practice dolls and kids trying on gear, as well as a display of trucks and an inflatable safety house full of fire safety tips and literature.
Jane Dimel is an assistant editor at CityScene Media Group. Feedback welcome at jdimel@cityscenemediagroup.com.
