High School Fire Ops 101

High School Fire Ops 101 is a program offered by the Rapid City Fire Department to engage high school students by providing them with an up-close opportunity to learn more about our organization and profession. The program is designed to accomplish three main goals:

1. Educate students about their community fire department and the fire service, in general.
2. Encourage safe habits and empower participants to become partners in providing for a safer community.
3. Provide participants with information on how to pursue a career in fire and emergency services and educate them on the many career paths available.

We will achieve our goals by providing participants with several hands-on and classroom-based activities that cover a broad range of areas including:

-History of the Fire Service

-Organization of the Rapid City Fire Department

-Introduction to Structural Firefighting

-Emergency Medical Services

-Introduction to Wildland Firefighting

- Hazardous Materials and Weapons of Mass Destruction Response

-Aircraft Rescue and Firefighting

-Vehicle Extrication

Requirements:

Students must be at least 16 years of age on the first day of the program. They must be currently enrolled in a local high-school, in good academic standing, and complete the application process. Students must provide at least one letter of recommendation from a teacher, administrator, or counselor. Students that are selected for the program must have signed parental consent if under the age of 18.

The program will be limited to 12 student-participants and one member of the local media. The Spring 2020 offering of the course will be held on March 20, April 3, and April 17. The class will meet each day at RCFD Station 1, located at 10 Main Street in Downtown Rapid City. The program will begin promptly at 8:30 am each day and will conclude at 4:00 pm. A graduation ceremony will take place on April 17 at 4:30 pm at Rapid City Fire Station 1.

The High School Fire Ops 101 Application can be found below.

The application period for the Spring 2020 offering of High School Fire Ops 101 closes at 4:00 pm on February 21, 2020.

For questions regarding this program, please contact Lt. Jim Bussell at 605-394-4180.