West Forsyth High School’s Fire Academy is hitting the road this month to teach neighboring middle schoolers what the program can do for them.
The Fire Academy is a career-focused training program that prepares high school students to work in fire departments and other emergency services through practical training and certification opportunities. Students interested in the field can be fully prepared to start work right after graduation. West Forsyth and other schools in the district with fire academies see these tours as a chance to make sure more students know their options.
“We’re trying to increase awareness of our high school pathways so they can be mindful of their opportunities,” said Career Development Coordinator Natalie Tyler. “High school isn’t just middle school all over again – it’s the start of them plotting the path to their future.”
Andrew Stoker is an 18-year-old firefighter with the Clemmons Fire Department who assisted with demonstrations at Clemmons Middle School on Thursday. Stoker joined his school’s fire academy as a junior and discovered a passion. A few years later, he was a full-time firefighter with all of his certifications straight out of high school, and he’s happy to have a chance to spread the word on this opportunity to the next generation of emergency responders.
“Getting a head start in high school made a huge difference for me,” Stoker said. “Being on the other side of it now feels rewarding.”
On Thursday, Clemmons eighth graders got to tour firetrucks, try on gear, practice first aid, and talk to fire academy students and professionals about what makes the field worth pursuing. Eighth Grader Fallou Amar said it was a great experience, one that brought career opportunities to life in a way that students only get when they’re able to step outside the classroom once in a while.
“I think more people would learn if they got to learn like this,” Amar said.
Learn more about Winston-Salem/Forsyth County Schools’ career academies in firefighting, hospitality, health science, information technology, and more online at https://www.wsfcs.k12.nc.us/o/wsfcs/page/career-academies-copy.