William S. Hart ROP Fire Academy - Explorer Post 343

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Most Explorer Posts are attached to a fire department but Explorer Post 343 is run through the Regional Occupational Programs at the William S. Hart School District in Santa Clarita, California.

Explorer Post 343 is named in memory of the 343 firefighters that lost their lives in New York City on September 11th and is the only post that is run through a school district.

The program began eight years ago as a class where students saw movies, did a few simulations and shared one PPE. In 2005, when Master Chief Kelly Chulick took over, it became more of a Fire Academy with hands-on training. 

"We wanted something that got them prepped for Explorers and for getting into the state academies and things. And that's when we came up with this idea of having well, you could almost call it a junior academy," said Kelly Chulick. 

"I love seeing the kids in the very beginning, the first day when we do the orientation - they're young, they're green so to speak - and then to see them in 15 weeks climbing up ladders, throwing the hoses putting out fires," said Karen Varela the program's advisor. "It's really wonderful to see the transformation."

Because they are part of a school district, students cannot be put through live fire training. However Explorer Post 343 does own two engines that were donated to them by the Los Angeles County Fire Department. They concentrate on the basics like ladders, hoses, tools and equipment. Students are able to decide if they like it and want to pursue a career in the fire service.   

"Whenever I see structure fires or building fires or wildfires I just stop whatever I'm doing and I watch it. Because it's always just the science of fire and everything else it's always been fascinating to me," said Cadet Michael May. 

Students receive ten units for the class and are able to take it twice. The second part, Fire II, is an advanced class that gets into low angle rope rescues, hazardous materials training, search and rescue, how to cut line and deploy a fire shelter.

After both semesters, students can return as a group leader to teach new cadets. "I feel that I found my niche here. There's a moment, there's a day where we were practicing hand lines and we were doing it and I just had this feeling and it was like, like a beam of sun hit me because it just felt right doing this," said May.  


Author:Barbara Brooks - FDNNTV.com