CAL FIRE BDU Attends Career Day at Redlands High Schools

What do you want to be when you grow up?  This is a question that many teenagers ponder as they get closer to graduation.  In order to assist the teenagers at Redlands High School and Citrus Valley High School (also in Redlands, California) the schools held a career day last Tuesday, March 26, 2013.  The CAL FIRE San Bernardino Unit was asked to be at the events and was honored to do so.  There were a number of job providers and higher education groups there.  Redlands Police and Fire Departments were present along with  the Army, Navy and Marines just to name a few.

To help prospective firefighters, Crafton Hills College's Fire Academy, represented by Frank DeBoer, retired Norco Fire Captain, was there to provide those interested with the information about becoming a firefighter.  Because of the long association between the Crafton Hills College Fire Academy and CAL FIRE BDU, the two were located next to each other.  This provided an excellent team effort.  When a young man or woman asked CAL FIRE how and where to get a fire education, we would point them to Captain DeBoer.  When someone asked where could they get a job in firefighting, Captain DeBoer pointed them to the CAL FIRE Booth.  Sometimes, both questions were addressed together.

Frank DeBoer and Alison Hesterly talk with potential future firefighters

Assisting in these two events were CAL FIRE BDU Fire Captain/Paramedic Erin Fairfax and Firefighter II Alison Hesterly. This really helped to represent first hand the diversity that is CAL FIRE.  It was an enjoyable day and the interactions of Fairfax and Hesterly were very positive for the many teenagers that they talked with.

Captain/Paramedic Erin Fairfax shares fire service information
with female high school students