The Mount Vernon Fire Department will begin a cadet program, to allow 16-18-year-old high school students to volunteer as part of the department.
Mount Vernon fire chief Nathan Goodlove noted the agency has done a lot of recruiting in previous years, including an increase in the number of Cornell College students that serve as volunteers.
As other departments in communities including Nevada and Marshalltown have begun similar programs, it’s been something that Goodlove has wanted to add to Mount Vernon.
Cadets will have to be between 16 and 18, in good health, complete membership application and have parents consent, provide character reference from two teachers, be physically able to perform the duties of a fire cadet, follow strict orders and maintain a C average or better while attending school.
Cadets will have the ability to attend all regular meetings, training sessions and fire department activities. Cadets will also be able to respond to emergency incident scenes, but will do so out of a support nature only. They need to report to the station first, not directly to any incident scene.
Incident commanders, chief officers and station officers will direct what support they should provide.
Cadets can assist with maintenance of station facilities and use fire department apparatus during supervised training sessions.
Cadets will also be unable to respond to calls after 10 p.m. on school nights and not be allowed to leave school or school activities to attend calls.
Cadets will be able to take the firefighter 1 classes during the program, which will teach them fire behavior, communications, ropes and knots, rescue operations, first aid, forcible entry, ventilation, fire inspections, automatic sprinklers, salvage and overhaul, breathing apparatus, fire hose, fire streams, fire ground ladders, natural ground cover fires, hazardous materials and vehicle rescue.
“This is a great opportunity for high school students to give back to their community,” Goodlove said. “My hope is to make this program sustainable in the long run and allow us to work closely with high school students and teachers to offer opportunities for students to learn different abilities.”
Goodlove reiterated that school, family and extracurriculars come first.
Goodlove said that his visits with high schoolers over the past 10 years, especially during J-Term classes, highlights an interest in classes that would be covered by the cadet program.
Council member Paul Tuerler said that it was very timely to be offering this program, and it would definitely give students experiences in items not in the classroom.
Students who are interested in the program should check with Goodlove at the Mount Vernon Fire Department for an application for the program, as well as the forms needed for parents and character references.