South Mountain Villager

I’ll be a freshman next year and would like to take courses that will prepare me to become a fireman.  Can you tell me what the requirements are?  Steven H. Phoenix

Some high schools offer fire science courses, Steven, but not many.  Metro Tech offers one at Franklin High.  Your counselor may enroll you as a dual student.  You need to be E.M.T. certified-you can get that at a community college.  Your high School diploma is a must.  While you are chipping away at these things, it would be wise to work on your health.  Strength training and cardio-vascular exercise are very important.  Smokers are not accepted.  A “C-Pat” test is administered by a private company.  Once you have these requisites and become a candidate the City will give you written and oral exams.  These are structured to not only verify your academic proficiency, but to confirm your ability to fit in and work harmoniously as part of their extraordinary team.  This certainly appears to be a monumental undertaking, Steven, but if you make it the rewards are well worth the effort.  The first day you save a life or someone’s property you will be so proud of yourself and your team that you might think you’ll explode—and the rest of us will be just as proud of you –Good Luck.