If you don’t know what career you want to go into, the Fire Explorer Program might be for you. It is an opportunity that anyone aged 15 through 21 can participate in, and through the program you have the chance to see what it is like to work as a firefighter. The program includes training, discipline, and a learning experience that is not easily found elsewhere. It can help one decide what career path that they are interested in, whether it is firefighting or something different.
An example of someone who has benefited from this program is Luca Garvey Miller, who joined the program back in March of 2022 and since graduating from Terra Linda High School has been enrolled in firefighter related classes at Santa Rosa Junior College while continuing with the Explorer program. Through the explorer program he has had the opportunity to get training that will further his career, and meet full time firefighters at Marin County Fire that could help him get a job later on.
Miller says that the program has “helped him grow on and off the fire ground, and the program helps to teach young adults respect, discipline, punctuality, and a need to help others and [his] community.”
Another example of someone who benefited from the program and used it to get into a career with firefighting is London Meckfessel, who joined the program when he was 15, with no previous knowledge of what the fire service was like. Since joining the Fire Explorers he has gotten a job as a seasonal firefighter with Marin County Fire, and being a part of the Explorer Program helped him get his foot in the door and meet a lot of great mentors.
London says that the program “is a great stepping stone along with an opportunity to see if the fire service is for you.”
The program spans across California and other states such as Nevada. While each Explorer post is different in terms of what they focus on training, they all provide the same essential firefighter training and skills that come with the program.
There are three separate Explorer Posts in Marin County, including Marin County Fire, San Rafael Fire, and Ross Valley Fire. Each of these training posts provides a unique training experience, with the experience of the fire department impacting how explorers are trained.
I am personally an explorer with the Marin County Fire Explorers, and I have been a part of the program for the past four years. This program has given me the chance to improve upon myself and pursue my dream of becoming a firefighter. Alongside the training, the program has given me the motivation to lose over 40 pounds and get into better shape, and pursue an EMR and EMT certification at the local College of Marin.
Another opportunity that this program provides is the chance to go to the California Fire Explorer Academy, which is held once a year in spring. It is a week-long training academy where participants eat, sleep, and work fire training. Participants are trained by full time firefighters from around the state, providing unique training that is not found in any other fire academy. Each area of the state has more experience in certain things than others, such as Los Angeles Fire having more experience in venting roofs than Marin County Fire, which has a lot of wildland fire experience.
Each Explorer program sends candidates to the academy each time it is held, and Marin County Fire is sending 3 of its Explorers including me, Luca Garvey Miller, and one other this year.
While this program is not for everyone, it provides a unique experience that can be beneficial to all who participate. You are not required to stick with the program for any length of time, so if it is not for you, you have the ability to leave at any time.
If one decides to stick with the program and eventually pursue a career in firefighting, it will help you learn punctuality, discipline, and help you get into better shape.
The firefighters that lead the program not only teach you fire-related skills, but also life skills. Through the program I have received help finding part-time jobs, gained experience working with children and volunteering at firefighter events like the Marin County Pancake Breakfast.
One notable example of the kind of people the program creates is the head advisor of the program, Steven Mackall. As a teenager, Mackall participated in a fire explorer program in his hometown of Half Moon Bay, and through the program he gained the experience and desire to become a firefighter. Now he works at Marin County Fire as a full-time firefighter, and he has earned his engineer certification which allows him to drive the fire trucks and work the water pumps for fighting fires.
Mackall says, “Although I may never become a captain or battalion chief, I am satisfied with helping the future generations realize who they want to become, and helping them pursue a career in firefighting if that is what they decide to do.”
Although there are some difficulties to being a part of the program, like the physical aspect of the training, it is still beneficial to take the chance to participate in it. No matter who you are it has the potential to improve upon your life, with the training and experience that training alongside firefighters gives you. I believe that anyone who has the chance to participate should.
