HTHS Fire Science Academy grows public service industry

Cody Wilcox, an 18-year-old recent graduate of Hewitt-Trussville High School, is one of eight students in the first class of the school’s firefighter training program. He said he wants a career in fire service.

HTHS and the Trussville Fire Department have partnered to offer this career technical program where students receive volunteer firefighter certification — which includes 160 hours of classroom study, drill field practice and training evaluations.

“The students do all the same things a recruit would do with the same risks,” said Lt. Chris Franklin, the fire science academy instructor.

Wilcox first entered the program as a junior and then joined the Explorer program, which involves job shadowing for about six months. Through this, he was able to ride the fire truck with the Trussville Fire Department — an invaluable experience, Wilcox said. It was in those moments of observation and helping residents on their worst days that he solidified his career path.

“I want to work for Trussville Fire Department,” Wilcox said. “I love not knowing what’s going to come next. I also love the camaraderie we all have and helping people.”

Stretched out over the course of one school year and offered to juniors and seniors, the fire training program is one of about 20 in Alabama’s high schools, thanks to a grant for career technical programs. HTHS gained pharmacy tech, fire science and emergency medical services programs last school year.

After getting input from other local departments, Franklin said it was clear it would need to be a joint effort between the school and the fire department in determining the roster. The eight students were chosen from a group of applicants based on factors that included physical standing, GPA, attendance and discipline records.

Potential candidates should want to be a public servant, first and foremost, Franklin said.

“We’re looking for a willingness to learn and someone who’s motivated,” he said. “This course does require them to do a lot of studying outside of class since it’s an elective. They don’t have to have a 3.5 GPA, but they must be willing to work.”

The group learned about fire control, ventilation, the flow of smoke, how to use a hose to put out a fire and how to climb ladders, to name a few.

“Generally, we take one to two days to review chapters in the textbook, one to two days per week for hands-on activities and are dressed out on those days,” Franklin said. “The kids usually love learning about ropes and knots, but they didn’t enjoy learning about physical preparation — getting everything on and going up and down stairs, or towers, as we call them.”

He said the endurance-building exercise is one of the most serious.

“Incidents can last 15 minutes or 15 hours,” he said. “So, doing towers as a physical endurance builder is important. They don’t like that at all though.”

Franklin said he hopes to add more medical training for students in the future.

 “If they’re going to have a career in fire service, they should be an EMT as well,” Franklin said.

“The lure of fighting fire is usually what attracts people, but most of the excitement comes from EMS runs. That’s where you can really help others.”

There are six students signed up for the fire program for the upcoming school year, including one female.

“As much as we want to provide this to the school and the community, we can only manage so many at a time,” Franklin said. “With only one instructor, and the amount of time we’re given per day, it was a challenge. Having a smaller class benefits the students better.”

Once completing the course, students are then able to enter a “bridge” recruit school, where they can earn their certification to become a career firefighter. One student from the fire program already has been accepted as a volunteer for the Trussville Fire Department, and two or three others will follow once they graduate, Franklin said.

A select few fire stations in Alabama also offer residency programs for students who are serious about making it their career.

Wilcox was accepted into the nearby Cahaba Valley Fire District’s Live In program, where they will provide him with a single room apartment at the station, a gym membership and tuition costs for his work as a volunteer firefighter.

He plans to attend Jefferson State Community College to pursue more EMT training.