HUNTINGTON, W.Va. (WSAZ) – This fall, Wayne High School students will complete a hands-on course that will equip them to respond to emergency situations and potentially save lives.
The school offers a one-year elective firefighter training course, taught by Dave Caudill, Ceredo’s fire safety officer.
He says the lack of young people in volunteer fire departments is a big problem.
“One of the biggest problems is the time required for training,” Caudill said.
That’s why he created the new program in Wayne, which offers training that gives students a head start if they’re interested in pursuing a degree in fire protection. It’s run in partnership with West Virginia Public Service Training.
“By doing this in high schools where kids can take it as an elective, it’s a great opportunity for them to get an education before they’re out on their own and have a real job,” Caudill said.
He says students who are at least 16 years old and complete the course will qualify to join a volunteer fire department and have a good chance of obtaining a two-year degree that will allow them to become a professional firefighter or start a career in the security field.
Samuel Steele, a sophomore at Wayne, is enrolled in the class.
“I’ve been interested in being a firefighter for some time,” he said. “This is a great opportunity. If I decide to do it, it can help me in my career.”
“This is a great opportunity for these kids to learn these skills and, at the same time, help our community in an area where it needs help,” says Sara Stapleton, principal of the Wayne School.
Caudill says one of her goals is to eventually offer the program in Tolsia and Spring Valley.
Caudill says they are working on starting a program at Mountwest where students who have completed high school can enroll and graduate a year faster.
The first day of the new course is scheduled for Friday.
All rights reserved.
