GALLATIN, Tenn. (WKNR) — The future of firefighting on the campus of Gallatin High School.

For the past few years, the Gallatin Fire Department has trained local students for a possible career in public safety. On Friday, those students saw the intricacies of a house fire up close. 

Lighting up a wooden doll house for demonstration, GFD illustrated to students how flames can spread throughout a home. 

“This semester we’ve talked about fire behavior; everything that a fire needs to happen,” explained Gallatin Fire’s Assistant Chief Scott Woodward. “That (doll house) showed everything that we’ve talked about so far this semester, from backdrafts, flash over, vent-limited fire.” 

Started in 2019, the visual and interactive course is a partnership between Sumner County Schools, Volunteer State Community College, and Gallatin Fire.

Students earn college credits from Vol State, while GFD gets a recruitment pipeline. 

“The ultimate goal for us, obviously we want them to come work for us,” said Woodward. “But if not for us, an organization where they can go make a good impact on the community; whether that’s police, fire, EMS.”

“We’ve had 2 people from the class who have been hired for us, we got 2 or 3 at Sumner EMS, and several have gone to law enforcement,” he continued.

For the students, the class acts essentially like a trade school, teaching them Firefighting 101. It prepares them for a profession that some have always dreamt of joining. 

“I want to be a firefighter. I can’t complicate more than that. Being a firefighter sounds amazing. I want to help people, I’ve always wanted to help people,” said Jaakan Thompson, a student in the course. “Being a firefighter was the closest I could be to being a superhero, as a kid. 

Thompson is a prime example of the program’s appeal. The senior student is so determined to become a firefighter, he’s now taken the class twice. 

“Is this your favorite class?” asked News 2's Sam Chimenti.

“Yeah, absolutely,” Thompson answered. “The only class that I genuinely pay attention to. It’s actually really interesting.”

Thompson said he hopes to finish earning his Fire Science degree at Volunteer State after he graduates. 

With the class as a leaping point, he said he hopes to one day become a fire inspector. 

According to Assistant Chief Woodward, Gallatin Fire is only one of two departments in the entire state that offers this training for students. 

News Source : https://www.wkrn.com/news/local-news/gallatin-fire-department-teaches-fire-science-to-high-schoolers/