With the city’s blessing, the Warsaw-Wayne Fire Territory recently donated no longer used fire gear to a new Fire Rescue 1 class at Warsaw Community High School.
The first year class, which provides students basic training on firefighting, has 18 student members who, by the end of the school year, could all receive their Firefighting 1 certification.
Led by Marc Huffer, who is a certified firefighter himself, the Fire Rescue 1 class was actually supposed to launch next year because literally there were no training tools available for the students. However, thanks to the donations, Huffer said, “It’s taken us less than a year to get 80 percent of the stuff we need. Mike (Brubaker, Warsaw fire chief) and all the guys have been great, too. They even come out to the training center on their days off to work with the students.”
According to Brubaker, other county fire departments have also donated equipment to the course, which has consisted of ladders, fire hoses and even a 1982 Le France firetruck. Brubaker said the students are benefiting from training with actual equipment and have even been given permission to use the city’s fire training facilities.
The class is part of the offerings through Warsaw Career Center and involves students from Warsaw Community High School, West Noble, Whitko and Wawasee schools.
Currently, thanks to the class, three of the Fire Rescue 1 course students are already working as volunteer firefighters and, of the 18 students in the class, half hope to become career firefighters.
Within the next couple of weeks, students will be taking the Firefighter 1 certification test. Huffer expects most of the students will pass the test.
Clik here to view.
Warsaw-Wayne Fire Territory firefighters Andrew Callaway, left, Jeff Puckett and Brooks Huffer, far left, pose with the students of the Warsaw Career Center’s Fire Rescue 1 course. Also pictured are Warsaw Community Schools Superintendent Dr. Craig Hintz, second from left; WWFT Fire Chief Mike Brubaker, fourth from left in the back row; Warsaw Mayor Joe Thallemer; and the course’s instructor, Marc Huffer, second from right. (Photo by Stacey Page)