UPDATE: The fire chief said Oct. 7 that all spaces are filled.
Brookfield Fire Department is hoping to spark an interest in a career as a firefighter in today’s kids with a junior fire academy Oct. 19 and 20.
Brookfield and Hartford residents in grades three through five will have the chance to spend a day at the fire department learning some of what it takes to be a firefighter and emergency medical responder.
“We’re going to do obstacle courses, we’re going to spray hoses, we’re going to have a house fire simulator,” said Brookfield Fire Chief David Masirovits.
Ten students will be accepted for each day’s events, which will run from 8:45 a.m. to 5 p.m. A Brookfield trustee will swear in the wannabe firefighters, and Eagle Joint Fire District in Hubbard has kids-sized gear for each junior to wear.
The students will meet a police officer, learn fire prevention techniques and how to perform CPR chest compressions, and watch how the “jaws of life” are used to free people who are trapped in motor vehicles.
“We’re looking for unique ways to draw people in, because the interest just isn’t there like it used to be in the public safety services,” Masirovits said. “We wanted to address those grade levels, because that’s when they start to peak an interest in careers and we can draw their attention.”
Applications have been sent home with Brookfield students, and also will be posted on the Brookfield and Hartford Facebook pages. The academy is free to participants.
The kids will get lunch from Jimmy Neno’s Pizzeria and Logan and Co. is printing T-shirts for them. Brookfield Volunteer Fire Department and Local 3443 of the International Association of Firefighters are among the financial donors to the academy, and Watson’s Towing is donating the cars for the extrication drill.
