GHENT, N.Y. (WRGB) — Through a specialized partnership with Questar III BOCES, local students are stepping into the boots of first responders, helping to address shortages across the region.
The Fire Science program takes high schoolers through firefighting and emergency response, with a blend of classroom instruction and hands-on training.
“This is one of the best ways we’ve found recently to be able to recruit new members,” Columbia County Fire Coordinator George Keeler said. “We’re constantly in need of volunteers, and these students, these young adults are able to backfill and come right into the fire services now, and they’ll be trained by the time you get out of high school, and they can hit the ground running.”…