Local volunteer fire company starts new fire cadet program for children
Delaware depends and relies on its volunteer fire fighters to keep the community safe. But recently, the pool of volunteers seems to be drying up. Sussex County Councilman Rob Arlett believes there’s several reasons why.
Arlett says, “It’s changing, you know we have youth that are no longer staying in the state because of economic challenges. Number one those that are staying here have two jobs and employers are not as flexible as they were once back twenty plus years ago and plus we’re growing.”
That’s why Arlett started working with Roxana Fire Chief Chris Uibel to find a better way to recruit and retain more volunteers in Sussex County.
Their solution: a new cadet program starting next month for children ages ten to fourteen in the Sussex County area.
Fire Chief Uibel says, “We’re going to teach them everything from first aid, CPR, leadership skills, basic firefighting. We’ve partnered with Delaware Fire School so we’re going to provide the education part with them.”
Awareness is one of their biggest issues. Ubiel tells 47 ABC many people have no idea that Delaware even has a volunteer fire service. This pilot cadet program is aimed at middle schoolers, so by the time they’re fifteen-years-old, they can officially start to become certified volunteers.
“Our goal is to get them, recruit them, retain them and pass them along the line to their neighboring departments. If they live in Dagsboro then by all means they’ll join Dagsboro,” explains Uibel.
And to continue to bring kids in, Roxana has partnered with the Indian River School District. They are hoping to start a public safety career path for students interested in fire and emergency medical services or EMS jobs.
And to help kick start the new pilot cadet program, Millsboro Middle School has agreed to an eight-week fire cadet course, starting on November 28th.
Fire Chief Uibel will teach the class himself, focusing on fire safety, volunteerism, leadership skills, and more.
The middle school already has a 40 minute “What I Need” period. Time in the morning where students are either provided extra instruction in reading or math if needed or taking enrichment courses, which can be anything from drama to steel drums to book clubs.
Millsboro Middle School Principal Renee Jerns says this fire cadet class will be one of them. Kids sign up for the course and through a selection process about 20 students will be enrolled.
Although this is the first course if its kind, Renee tells 47 ABC it was a no-brainer making it a course:
“I think what was most appealing to me is the fact that its not just about being a firefighter. They’re also going to focus on how to be leaders in their community and what volunteerism means and I think as educators our ultimate goal is to create good citizens and the leadership piece appealed to me.”
Fire Chief Uibel is hoping this new course will help feed kids into the cadet program and spread to other neighboring schools.
