Danbury Fire Explorers Program Opens Doors for Local Teenagers

According to a press release from the City of Danbury, the Danbury Fire Department is launching a new program aimed at giving local teenagers a chance to learn more about the fire service and what it takes to work in an emergency-response career.

The new Danbury Fire Explorers program is open to city residents between the ages of 14 and 17. The program is designed to teach young people about leadership, teamwork, fire safety and public service while giving them a behind-the-scenes look at what firefighters and emergency responders actually do.

The program will officially kick things off with an open house on Saturday, October 3, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Danbury Fire Training Facility at 21 Plumtrees Road. Anyone interested in joining is encouraged to attend.

The program is similar in concept to Danbury’s Police Cadet program and will give participants a safe and structured introduction to the fire service. Explorers will learn basic concepts related to firefighting and emergency medical services while also working on things like accountability and leadership.

Mayor Roberto Alves is helping get the program off the ground. Through his nonprofit, the CT Education Foundation, Alves donated more than $13,000 to help launch the program and provide the equipment and resources needed to get things moving.

Deputy Fire Chief Shawn McGee will serve as the program’s Executive Officer. He says he actually got his start through an explorer program when he was younger, eventually discovering that he enjoyed the work enough to turn it into a career.

Participants will meet twice a month on weeknights and focus on five core values: integrity, respect, service, teamwork and accountability.

There are a few requirements. Selected students must be in good academic standing, attend school consistently and maintain at least a 2.0 GPA. So if you’re 14 to 17, live in Danbury and have ever thought about becoming a firefighter, this could be a pretty interesting way to see if the job is right for you.

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