What's It Like?

High school students from around the area gathered at Hillsboro Fire Department’s Ronler Acres Fire Station for the biannual Chamber of Commerce School to Work program. The program goes on through the year providing students with a day in different industries to help them determine their career path. The students heard from chief officers of the department about how they became a firefighter and learned what education is required for the career.

Of course, firefighters provided them with an up-close and personal tour of the fire station and the fire engines at the station.

After that, the students donned firefighting gear and engaged in a competitive timed event carrying fire hose up to a mezzanine, then hoisting a roll of hose to the second level and, then, returning to the first level with the original hose line.

 Students also learned about basic fire extinguisher operation.

Then, what many wait for, the chance to knock down a pylon with the fire hose stream.

Later, they worked in pairs to advance a hose line together.

And, finally, another competition to roll out a hose line, make and break a series of couplings, attach a nozzle to the end, and then, undo all the attached lines, roll them up and retun them to a neat stack at the finish line.

Organizers said that 14 out of the 15 attending said the demonstration and information made firefighting a much more attractive option than before they visited the station.