SHORELINE FIRE DEPARTMENT & SHORELINE SCHOOLS CREATE MINI-FIRE ACADEMY

Shoreline Fire Department and Shoreline Schools have teamed up to create a real-life, hands-on curriculum for students interested in firefighting, rescue, and emergency medical careers.  Students from Shorewood and Shorecrest high schools are eligible for the program in their junior and senior years. 

The instructor, Dave Spalding, is a retired Seattle firefighter with years of experience in fire operations training and skills development. 

Spalding has created a mini fire academy program where students get realistic experience in chain of command, fire suppression, basic emergency medical, CPR, and other rescue scenarios.  The students also go through the CERT (Community Emergency Response Team) training, and are registered as volunteer disaster workers with Shoreline Fire.

Shoreline Fire donates a back up engine, various types of equipment, bunker gear and its state-of-the-art training facility on 175^th and Aurora for the students, who attend every school day from 7:00 to 9:00 a.m.   They then resume their regular schedule of high school classes.

Students who are interested in the program should talk with their school guidance counselor.  Admission is with approval of the counselor, and interviews may be required if there are large numbers of applicants.

“This is the best way for a student to learn about a career as a firefighter is to don the gear, get into the engine, and see what it feels like,” says instructor Spalding.  “This program is unique and innovative, and many students simply shine in this setting,” he added.   “Shoreline Fire may be training future recruits, and it is certainly gaining a more informed, competent and prepared citizenry by working with these young adults.”

Shoreline Schools developed the program in conjunction with the Fire Department as part of its effort to provide meaningful life-skills and career oriented programs to its students.