Iowa life lighting a fire

Early on a Sunday morning, Mike Mosher led 14-year-old Noah Arthur, not away from, but into a burning building.

The two stayed low and entered the empty wooden structure as orange flames began to climb up the back wall. They stopped a short ways inside the door and Mosher, a firefighter with 26 years of experience, began to offer Arthur instructions as black smoke filled the room.

Arthur is a new member of the Central City Fire Department's Explorer program, and this was the first time he found himself among the heat, flames and smoke of a burning structure for a training exercise. Mosher was teaching him how the fire can grow, as well as the most effective ways to use water from the fire hose to fight the fire.

'Hot,' was all Arthur had to say after exiting the building as another firefighter helped him remove his mask. A large grin spread across his face as he watched the building, given to the department to purposefully burn down for training, go further up in flames. He also said that he definitely had made the right decision to volunteer his time to work and train with the fire department.

Community fire departments across Iowa have programs tailored toward youth volunteers to provide knowledge and training on what it takes to be a firefighter with the hope that many will become full volunteers once they hit age 18.

'The whole thing is about getting kids to stay,' said Mike Sankot, Fairfax fire chief. 'So many programs are hurting.'

According to a 2014 report from the National Volunteer Fire Council, the number of volunteer firefighters in the United States has decreased by 13 percent since 1984. The report also states that 69 percent of firefighters in the United States are volunteers.

'All in all, people who volunteer at fire departments, ambulance services ... the numbers are down,' said James O'Leary, Central City fire chief. He said that the department has just more than 20 members if you include the Explorers. 'Numbers are down because people have gotten busy. They come to realize that this is harder work than just volunteering doing something else.'

The Central City Fire Department partners with the local Boy Scouts, though girls also are welcome.

Youth volunteers, who must be at least 14 years or older, are presented with a range of work, which often includes cleaning the station and emergency vehicles and checking equipment. All these duties help young members familiarize themselves with how the department is run.

'There's a whole process. It isn't just jumping in to it,' O'Leary said. He said new volunteers older than 18 also go through this type of training before they are given full responsibilities when responding to a fire. 'They have to learn,' he said. 'How do we work, how does our department work, how do we fight fires. They have to go through that training.'

Youth volunteers can't do everything. Some duties, such as driving the firetruck, are off-limits.

When responding to a fire, though, young recruits are responsible for grabbing equipment off the trucks and laying it out on tarps. The task helps firefighters, but also teaches youths where all the items are stored on a truck and how to use them. They also learn how to properly wear gear and observe the firefighters at work.

Seven youths are enrolled in Fairfax's junior program. Participants must have a family member in the fire department.

'My dad will always correct me if he sees me doing something wrong,' said Ali Stewart, a 17-year-old junior volunteer. Stewart has volunteered with the Fairfax Fire Department for a year and half and has plans to become a full volunteer upon turning 18.

Stewart, along with several of her fellow juniors, said they enjoy being in the fire station, sometimes even using it as a place to hang out and do homework.

Having fun is key. But, safety and assessing a volunteer's comfort level with a training situation also are important.

'Trainings are one thing, but when you get a call, everything is moving so quick,' said Austin Wisnousky, 17, who has been a junior volunteer for just over a year in Fairfax.

Shannon Costigan and Allie Jordan said the excitement and adrenaline of being on a real call drives them as volunteers with Fairfax.

'I figure if people want to volunteer to do this,' I'll let them,' Sankot said.