2/13/14 - Before the wrecking ball gets a hold of a closed-down Howell school, students in a specialized class will get a chance to use it in their training. The 26 students in the Howell High School Firefighters 1 & 2 program will be performing search and rescue drills at the shuttered Latson Road Elementary School this Saturday. The students will be fully equipped with self-contained breathing apparatuses as they break through cinder block walls, crawl through the holes they make and pull fire hoses into the building. The training will also involve the two fire trucks that the district has purchased to support the firefighters program. School officials say the program is believed to be the first of its kind in the state, in which the district has partnered with local fire agencies to provide students who are interested in a career in firefighting with the training required to take the state firefighters exam. To enroll in the program students must be at least 16 years old and enrolled in Howell Public Schools. Upon turning 18 students will be eligible to take the state firefighters exam to earn their state firefighters certification. In addition to receiving firefighters training, students will also earn school credit for taking the course. Saturdayâs training exercise at Latson Road Elementary will begin at approximately 8:30am. (JK)
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