The Wilmington Fire Department is hosting its first Junior Fire Academy July 19-23. The academy is for high school aged students for an opportunity to learn lifesaving skills and what it takes to be a firefighter.
“We’re hoping that this gives them a look inside what we go through on a daily basis, and what we provide to the community and the services that we do bring,” said Rebekah Thurston, Wilmington Fire Department Public Information Officer.
They learn a wide variety of things in and out of the classroom.
Teenager Dexter Baldwin-Bey said he’s learned a lot: “How you can learn if someone has a concussion or not, even the simple stuff — how to take off gloves the right way.”
On Tuesday, students geared up to go through an obstacle course that mimics what firefighters would do on the scene of an actual fire — things like crawling through a tunnel, carrying a hose, and moving equipment.