The Boy Scouts of America and the Glynn County Fire Department are joining forces to introduce a career training program for high-school aged youth this year.
“It’s a big initiative we’re trying to promote in Glynn County, and in surrounding counties, but primarily in Glynn County,” said Jed Hewitt, BSA Coastal Georgia Council director.
Explorer posts, set up within organizations like the Southeast Georgia Health System hospital, allow high school students to get hands-on experience in the field, Hewitt said.
The fire department post and a planned law enforcement post are both being kickstarted thanks to a grant from United Way of Coastal Georgia, Hewitt said.
Each post is part of the national Exploring program, which is aimed at youth aged 16-20 who are considered disconnected. Disconnected youth are considered people between 16-24 who are not employed or in school. While posts are set up through the Boy Scouts, the program welcomes both boys and girls, Hewitt said.
David O’Neal, a firefighter with the county fire department, has been working to set up its post.
“We’re getting our advisors together, and getting them the appropriate youth protection training,” O’Neal said. “Not only do we want to look at it from the standpoint of career enhancement, there’s a lot going on in this community. (Students) need a positive influence, and I think the fire department can offer that.”
While the fine details haven’t been hammered out, O’Neal said the department is planning to take students ages 16-20 to different fire stations and let them meet the firefighters and get familiar with their equipment.
Students will eventually be allowed to ride along with the fire crews on calls, but they’re going to have to be ready.
“Before we are going to allow these youths to do ride alongs, we need to make sure they’re prepared mentally and physically,” O’Neal said.
He said he’d like to administer physical fitness tests and put them through something similar to a job interview to give them an idea of what to expect in the real world.
The program will cover both fire and EMS training. Participants will need to be within the 16-20 age range, be in high school or have a high school diploma or a GED. There will be a GPA requirement for students, he added, but it has yet to be determined. Participants will also have to pay an annual fee of $24.
In addition to the fire department post, the Boy Scouts also plans to start a post within either the Glynn County Police Department or Sheriff’s Office.
“That’s the next step in our future plan. We’re trying to figure out which department to run that post through, either with the sheriff, Neal Jump, or the police department. We’re still having a conversation to identify a leader for that program,” Hewitt said. “It’s a career-based learning approach. It’s really flexible. Each of the explorer posts, they’re going to be able to adapt it to their individual department.”
O’Neal plans to start recruiting for the fire department’s explorer post in earnest next month.
“We’re going to go ahead and start recruiting, and hit the ground hard with schools and churches in March,” O’Neal said.
The health system’s explorer post, called Medical Explorers, meets monthly, giving students an opportunity to get hands-on experience in a variety of healthcare-related careers, according to the system’s website.
Laura Young, marketing director for the health system, said the program is very successful and has had to turn people away on a number of occasions.
According to United Way, statistics show that 24 percent of Glynn County residents aged 16-24 are disconnected. It amounts to roughly 10 percent higher than the statewide rate.
Hewitt said United Way has been a big proponent of the program. Both the fire department and the planned law enforcement explorer posts are possible thanks to a grant from the nonprofit.
Kelly Spaeder, marketing manager for United Way, said the program falls in line with their strategic focus, which is to help 16-24 year olds improve their lot in life through mentoring, developing useful skills, providing transportation and education.
“We’re very grateful for United Way funding in support of our effort, and we want to get the word out to the community to get that age range that’s challenged throughout the county to provide an opportunity to them,” Hewitt said.
Those interested in applying for the fire department’s explorer post should contact O’Neal at [email protected]. More information on the national Exploring program can be found at exploring.org.
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