Young people considering a career in fighting fires and saving lives are gaining hands-on experience with the Racine Fire Department.
Senior Isiah Seago is one of several students currently participating in a fire and EMT youth apprenticeship through the Racine Unified School District.
Watch: Racine high schoolers getting hands-on fire, EMT experience:
"I would say that the youth apprenticeship and working at the fire department is probably my favorite thing that I've ever done," Seago said.
The program recently received the backing of the state Department of Workforce Development.
It brings together Gateway Technical College for certifications in the classroom and the Racine Fire Department for real-world experience, where students do chores, check equipment, and even go on calls.
"I had a call where we saved a patient, and we got to see him recover," Seago said. "Something like that was super rewarding."
The training is led by community leaders who have been serving for decades, including Assistant Fire Chief Brian Wolf.
“There’s no better reference than the firefighters themselves saying that a cadet’s been great,” Wolf said.
As Wolf and others in the department invest in the next generation, they’re asking the Racine community to consider investing in them.
On the April ballot, Racine voters will decide on a $1.5 million annual property tax levy increase to maintain nine paramedic/EMT positions.
“It allows the fire department to continue the level of service that we have right now,” Wolf explained. “If we do get a reduction in staffing, our response as we see it now will be altered.”
The reduction could also leave people like Seago having to look outside his community to make an impact.
It’s about time to watch on your time. Stream local news and weather 24/7 by searching for “TMJ4” on your device.
Available for download on Roku, Apple TV, Amazon Fire TV, and more.
