SALT LAKE CITY — Firehouse traditions go way back, and for Unified Fire Authority, many of them start at their training facility in Magna.
Sean Garrett is a fourth-generation firefighter and is one of the instructors there.
“Learning how to manage fire attack lines, learning how to manage ladders, and also the confidence drill that they have in the confined space maze, wearing all of their PPE,” said Garrett.
On Wednesday, they had an entire group out for the day on their training grounds, doing a number of courses.
“My aunt was [a firefighter] and so I always wanted to follow in her footsteps,” said Steven Starley, a senior at Mountain Ridge High School.
Starley wants to serve his community.
"Being able to help people is always something I’ve wanted to do, so the entirety of the job is helping people,” he said.
By bringing people like Starley in, Unified Fire Authority is hoping to recruit more firefighters for the Salt Lake Valley.
"When I was taking the test, it was with thousands of people. Now it’s with hundreds,” said Garrett.
Students have been in the program for a couple of months and shared how they're enjoying it so far, especially learning from the experienced instructors.
“Get to learn from them and they’ll teach you on mistakes you might make,” said Logan Olsen, a senior at Copper Hills High School.
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All of those who participated in training on Wednesday were high schoolers from the Jordan School District. Their program is called the Jordan Academy for Technology and Careers Program, and it prepares students for careers they want to pursue after graduation.
“It’s not an easy thing to do,” said Starley. "This class, it’s hard work and it’s a lot of dedication, but it’s rewarding and fun."
They get the chance to learn the tools of the trade and more.
"The encouragement, the passion, the learning, the education, the team environment, the mentorship, all of it; there are things that these high school kids will remember even if they don’t do this for a career,” said Garrett.
They hope to hand off their traditions to a new generation.
"My son is actually in this class, and this is something that he wants to do,” said Garrett.
Students encourage others to give the course a try, or do something to challenge themselves ahead of graduation.
“It’s hard work. If you have the dedication, you can make a lot of friends, and have a good, fulfilling job coming out of high school,” said Starley.
