Fire Explorers learn the ropes




READY TO ROLL—From left, John Rose, Keith Thompson, Andrew Goodson and Nick Rose have recently completed the Los Angeles County Fire Department Explorer Fire Academy at Fire Station 89 in Agoura Hills.

READY TO ROLL—From left, John Rose, Keith Thompson, Andrew Goodson and Nick Rose have recently completed the Los Angeles County Fire Department Explorer Fire Academy at Fire Station 89 in Agoura Hills.

Four young men, some still in high school, are on their way to becoming firefighters after participating in a hands-on program offered by the Los Angeles County Fire Department.

Andy Goodson, John and Nick Rose, and Keith Thompson are long-standing members of the Los Angeles County Fire Explorers program for young adults, age 15 to 21, who want a taste of what it’s like to be a firefighter.

Based on their performance in the program, the four young men were chosen from a post of 30 to attend the Fire Explorer Academy, a 12-day program held on six consecutive weekends that provides training in firefighting, ladder techniques, salvage operations, wildfire procedures, use of tools and equipment, and other skills.

They graduated from the academy on March 9.

As graduates, the young men are qualified to ride with an engine, truck or paramedic squad and respond to fires and medical emergencies. During the 24-hour ride-alongs they will assist department personnel and participate in station activities.

The local Explorer post is operated from Fire Station 89 on Canwood Street in Agoura Hills.

Goodson, an 18- year- old senior at Oak Park High School, said he was in eighth-grade when he learned about the program from his father, Bryan Goodson.

Generally, Explorers meet at the station one to two times per month on weekends.

Explorers arrive at the fire house at 8 a.m. and undergo physical training including running and calisthenics. Then there are house duties like taking out the trash, sweeping the floor and other chores, Andy Goodson said.

“I thought it would be really cool to be a fireman,” he said. “The biggest surprise is the amount of house duties required. The public stops in a lot. There have been quite a few times when people stop in to drop off cookies or food.”

Once in a while Explorers are confronted with emergencies. Goodson remembered a day when a family stopped by seeking help for their elderly father who was having chest pain. The Explorers were the only people at the station.

“We had to deal with it. We sat him down and called 911,” Goodson said.

Keith Thompson, a Thousand Oaks resident who is attending Oxnard College to study fire science, said he has dreamed of becoming a firefighter for as long as he can remember. Thompson’s father and grandfather were firefi ghters in L.A. County.

Thompson said the academy training was rigorous. Each participant is given engine assignments and over the course of 36 hours they are woken up and asked to complete a variety of tasks as if they were actual firefighters.

“It’s a great program and I would recommend it to anyone,” Thompson said. “This Explorer program really sets the candidates apart from everyone else trying to get jobs.”

Steve Ford, post adviser and engineer at the Canwood station, said about 15,000 people recently showed up in Los Angeles to take the firefighter test.

With only 150 positions available, Ford said, the department separates applicants by their test scores. Top test-takers who score 94.5 percent or above are placed in the top group, which could consist of 1,200 applicants.

“You can be in the top band and there still are no guarantees,” Ford said.

If there are more qualified applicants than there are jobs available, a lottery kicks in, he said.

“Explorers get a leg up because they are so young. It helps the whole process of becoming a firefighter. They practice oral interviews, practice on tests. When they go they have a pretty good knowledge of what the fire department is all about.”

For applicants who don’t qualify, Ford suggests earning emergency medical technician certification.

When a potential firefighter pays for their own paramedic schooling, their chances of being chosen among the multitudes of applicants improves because the department will save money on training.

John Rose was the youngest Explorer to be chosen for this year’s Explorer Academy. At 16, the Newbury Park High School student wants to follow in his firefighter dad’s footsteps.

“That’s my dream job,” he said. An Explorer for two years, John said the academy training was tough but worth the boost he gained in physical and mental stamina. “It was an eye-opening experience,” the water polo player said.

John’s brother Nick Rose, 19, is taking preliminary nursing courses at Moorpark College before he transfers to a four-year program.

Having started volunteering with a cadet program in Los Angeles City Fire Department when he was 14, Nick Rose said he will continue with the Explorers until he ages out of the program at 21.

“I want to be a firefighter,” Rose said. He wants to specialize in swift water rescue and urban search and rescue, but he must first land a job as a generalist firefighter.

Rose said the Explorer program is helping him to reach his goals.

“It’s a great program, a great learning experience to learn how the fire department is run and all the work that firefighters do. . . .

“It’s not just about learning how to throw a ladder, put on a breathing apparatus or learning ropes and knots, but lessons you learn that you can take wherever you go,” Rose said. “The biggest life lesson is learning to work as hard as you can no matter what you do, and learning to put others before yourself.”


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