Job Corps students train to fight fires

MOSES LAKE — It is a Thursday afternoon. A group of Columbia Basin Job Corps students, toting 45-pound bags of sand on their backs, head to a track away from the school's main buildings.

The students begin a 2.5-mile trek around the track. Although some students have trained for weeks, their training is actually in its infancy.

In May, students meeting the minimum physical and age requirements can start training to join the Blue Goose Fire Crew through U.S. Department of Fish and Wildlife. They spend the summer fighting wildfires alongside more experienced veterans.

"We're going to have a mix of both students and firefighter agencies in this crew," said Jason Riggins, fire crew superintendent.

Approximately 15 to 20 students rotate on the 20-person fire crew with personnel from five agencies. They continue their trade education at Job Corps at the same time.

Job Corps Business Community Liaison Jennifer Thomas said the program is considered work-based learning, so students are paid for their time on the crew.

"This is a huge opportunity for students because they get to fight fire next to people who really know what they're doing," Thomas said.

Job Corps student Jeremey Hipkins started physical training three weeks ago, shortly after joining Job Corps. He trains in addition to working on his trade at the center.

"It's nice not having to focus on your trade 100 percent," Hipkins said.

If he enjoys his experience during the summer, he could consider a career in fighting fires, he said.

The training is easy for him so far, but he and the other students are working their way up in intensity, Hipkins said.

"We're always encouraged to push ourselves, but we do go at our own pace," he said.

Riggins said firefighting is physically demanding, so the training is too. The physical requirement to enter training is the ability to carry a 45-pound pack three miles, in 45 minutes.

"It might be easy for some of them now, but that's because they have no idea what we're getting into this summer," he said.