Do the impossible.
Hint: It's so much more than putting out fire.
The Fire Exploring program was originally founded in 1949 by the Boy Scouts of America.
Now led by your local Fire Departments, the goal continues to be educating high school students (young men AND women) to be leaders. Leaders in their chosen professions, their communities, and in the Fire Services.
This program gives teens the opportunity to EXPLORE a career in the Fire Services while giving them a real hands-on learning experience with real equipment. Teens get to make a real difference in their communities while learning the skills to succeed in ALL areas of life.
Fire Explorers learn a variety of important firefighting skills under the careful supervision of experienced adult Firefighters. Explorers are never placed in situations that threaten their health or well-being.
This includes skills like:
Search and rescue
CPR and first aid
How to "hit" a hydrant
Chain of command and incident command
How to properly use a variety of saws, axes, and other tools
Repelling off steep cliffs
Fire extinguishers
Water rescue
Ropes and knots
How to get into a building that might be locked or blocked
How to safely and efficiently put up a ladder
How to get dressed in your fire gear in under a minute
Radio communications
SCBA's
And more!
Not sure what some of this stuff is? Do you want to know? Come join us and find out!!!
Fire Explorers teaches applicable and essential life skills for every path life takes you on.
This includes skills like:
Leadership
Followership
In-person communication with people of all ages
Teamwork
Networking
Confidence
Respect
Social Awareness
Diplomatic communication with your peers and supervisors BEFORE your paycheck depends on it
Problem-solving
Problem-solving under stress
And more!
BONUS POINTS: These are skills other teens DON'T have the opportunity to practice! Think about how much this will elevate your experience and your resume!
In Fire Exploring, we learn not only to be good Firefighters, but good people too.
You can serve your community alongside your chosen profession. You do NOT need to give up your career to be a Volunteer Firefighter.
Click here to watch a short video and see the real faces that are doing just that!
For more benefits of Fire Exploring (from scholarships to self-esteem), click here!
To join your local Fire Explorer Post, click here!
The Girl Scout Gold Award is the highest earned award in Girl Scouting. Only 5% of Girl Scouts nationwide earn one. Thanks to this project (and all of you supporting my cause), I am now part of that 5% :)
Yes, there is more to Girl Scouts than cookies.
My name is Schuyler Riedell. Thanks to my Mom's influence, I joined the Shaker Road Loudonville Fire Explorer Post 475 in 9th grade. Thanks to many influential people along the way, it has taught me more than I could have ever predicted. My goal is to share this experience with teens for generations to come. Ignite the GOLD!!!
"Be the change you want to see in the world." - Attributed to Mahatma Gandhi
Questions? Email project@ignitethegold.com :)