Firefighter Kevin G. Johnson received a fire call while watching football at a friend's house with his brother, David. He and David rushed to his car where they keep their "turn out gear" and they were off to the fire. The scene is typical of Brockport Fire Department firefighters being ready to respond on a moment's notice. It also shows the kinds of family bonds that help develop the next generation of firefighters in the department. Kevin, 26, is a captain in the Brockport Fire Department, assigned to Station #4 at Main Street and Park Avenue. Brother David, 15, is an Explorer Scout in the department. The Explorer Scout program, the career-related division of the Boy Scouts of America, provides preliminary firefighter training for teens. The Explorer Post was chartered in 1973 and today has a membership of 25. Joining at age 14, Explorers begin classes and practical training that make them highly prepared for regular recruitment training at age 18. Explorer training is every Monday night which includes classroom learning in the firehouse. A major part of Explorer training is the hands-on experience and testing they must take to qualify for "ride along" on the fire trucks with a family member or other designated adult firefighter. Lieutenant Ken Smith became head of the Explorer Post a year and a half ago. The Ride Along program had begun a few months prior. To get "signed off" to ride along, Explorers must pass 60 written questions on protective equipment and tools, and perform about 90 equipment skills. To this, Smith added procedures he adapted from his experience in the Coast Guard: answering questions before a board of three firefighters, plus demonstrating knowledge and skills called a "practical." David Johnson was the first to take the new oral exam and practical, passing them with no mistakes. He has begun riding on the trucks with his brother. At the scene of a fire, Explorers are not qualified to enter a burning building. Outside, they provide vital support services to their mentors so the firefighters may spend more time extinguishing the blaze and protecting property. David is a home-schooled sophomore and lives with his parents, Kevin M. and Marcy Johnson in Sweden Village. He has made a lifetime commitment to being a firefighter because "it is such an amazing service to the community; it's great to be a part of it," David adds. "It helps that my brother is a firefighter. He has taken his training seriously and does his job well." His brother, Kevin, began the regular fire recruit training when he was a junior at St. John Fisher College. He has been a firefighter for six years with Brockport, two years now as Captain. Kevin is in his second year of law school at the University of Buffalo. He is away all day at classes Monday through Thursday, but on his free time he is often duty officer (overnight first responder to calls) and also responds to various fires throughout the week when not on duty. He lives with his wife, Marne, in Brockport. Smith and other fire department officials say that Explorers and regular recruits often are following generations of firefighters in the family, some going back 170 years. Mostly typically now, several Explorer sons are working with their fathers in ride along and other parts of training. "Our Explorer program is very unique in Monroe County," Smith said, adding that he gets calls from other fire departments wanting more information on the Explorer program. "It is a result of all the kids working together as a team. The kids are remarkable, just a riot to work with and going on to do great things," he said. Several former Explorers have moved on to serve the department as fire chief, while others have secured careers in Fire Protection Technology and Fire Protection Engineering. November 26, 2006 |
