Seeley Lake Fire Department launches Cadet Program

SEELEY LAKE – With the Seeley Lake Fire Department cadet program officially reinstated Aug. 1, 2018, it wasn't until recently that the program has gotten off the ground. With one new cadet in the program, Fire Chief Dave Lane looks forward to the opportunity for high school youth ages 16-17 to learn and engage in emergency services with the goal of turning them into a full-time volunteer once they turn 18.

While the Department has had the program in the past, Lane said there were inappropriate actions that discouraged participation. The program was discontinued in 2017.

Lane approached Seeley-Swan High School Principal Kathleen Pecora about reinstating the program last school year. While she was supportive of the program, Pecora had concerns that she felt needed to be changed prior to implementation.

Previously, cadets received a pager, radio and badge and were excused from class to respond to a call.

"It is very clear in our documentation that school comes first," said Lane who added students will not be allowed to leave class to respond to a call.

While students will be allowed to use the app "I Am Responding" to see when other volunteers are responding to the station and confirm their response status, they will not be issued a pager, radio or a badge. They will be issued a t-shirt that clearly identifies them as a cadet.

Cadets are not allowed on medical calls, nor will they be allowed outside of the "cold zone" on fire and accidents unless their training allows. Cadets can go on wildland fires with parent permission and the proper training, though they will never be put on the fire line.

They can help with extrication and on other different parts of an accident scene but not the medical treatment. Lane feels that while a cadet could be trained in HIPPA regulations, the maturity level of high schoolers is such that there are too many opportunities to violate HIPPA by sharing too much information with friends and posting on social media.

Cadets must be at least 16-year-old to apply.

"They need to be mature enough to understand rules and understand consequences for not following the rules," said Lane "I think at the younger ages, we are going to have some difficulties with that."

Lane said the cadet program is intended to be more than just an orientation to emergency services.

"There is a lot of opportunity to learn – they can come down to training nights. They can even come to EMS training," said Lane. "We encourage their participating in all the trainings and community events."

To be a cadet the student must live in Seeley Lake, be working within an academic program geared towards a high school diploma, keep a C grade point average and have good attendance.

Each cadet will be assigned a mentor who is a member of the Department. There will be a Chief Cadet Advisor on the Department that oversees the program operations. Students' grade point average and attendance will be monitored every three weeks to ensure they remain eligible for the program by an advisor at SSHS.

There are applications at the Fire Department and will be available at SSHS once school starts. After a student submits an application they will sit down with a couple of members for an interview, must submit a background check and a drug screen. After they complete their task book, they are put on the roster as a cadet and are covered with Workman's Compensation and have access to other benefits of being a volunteer. Personal Protective Equipment will be issued depending on their level of training.

Once a cadet turns 18 they can become a full-time member with firefighter retirement and health insurance coverage. They can also become a certified Emergency Medical Technician.

"That is our goal," said Lane as he pointed to the Cadet Program Standard Operating Procedures that read, "This program is a long-range recruitment program designed to 'pre-train' as well as to retain young people as volunteer firefighters. The advantage of this program is that the District Cadet Program will have trained volunteer firefighters ready to go when they reach age 18."