Aurora launching fire cadet program
When Aurora Fire Chief Gary Krienitz started his path toward the fire service, money was tight.
He was young, newly married and working nights to afford paramedic school. He had to put in his shifts, complete his training and find a fire department that was hiring - all at once. None of it was easy.
The fire service is not a field for those looking for "easy." But as a new chief in his second year in Aurora, Krienitz still wants to simplify the process of becoming a firefighter - especially for hometown kids having trouble making ends meet.
The department is launching a fire cadet program for the first time, and Krienitz has committed to hire eight people to the newly created position this year.
"We're going to train them how to be firefighters and see if they like the skills and if they're cut out to do these skills," Krienitz said. "This is going to be a really good educational experience for them - and a proving ground."
Prospective firefighters ages 17 to 20 can apply for the program until May 5 by taking a written test and undergoing an interview, a polygraph test and a psychological test. The job will pay $11.91 an hour, plus benefits, and a 16- to 20-hour workweek so cadets can pursue paramedic school and/or a fire science degree through Waubonsee Community College in their spare time.
"Having a program like this would have been right in the roundhouse for me," Krienitz said.
Fire cadets will be trained to take on supportive and administrative tasks that free up firefighters to fulfill their most important duties in emergency medical service and public safety. The cadets won't be sworn employees, so their lives won't be put in danger and they won't do any actual fire suppression or emergency response.
But Krienitz said cadets will learn to secure the scene of a downed power line, for example, and to drive and maintain fire department vehicles, perform general station maintenance, keep stations stocked with necessary supplies, "charge" a hose line with water and roll up hoses after fires.
The department's in-house fire academy will provide training to the cadets, who will be encouraged to attend paramedic school on the side. Schooling for paramedics comes with a requirement to get "ride time" shadowing professionals at an area department, which Krienitz said can be hard to coordinate for students without connections.
But cadets will have an instant connection. The Aurora Fire Department will become their sponsor, providing them a convenient place to rack up their required observation hours - when they're off the clock, of course.
Fire Marshal Javan Cross has been promoting the new program to Aurora high schools, both public and private. As an Aurora native, he said he has a vested interest in seeing it work. Cross said he hopes diverse Aurorans like himself will see the cadet program as a way to make some money and get a foot in the door toward becoming a firefighter.
Krienitz said the program has the potential to help diversify the 204-member force, making it more reflective of the city's demographics.
Cadets will not get a free ride into a full-time job as a firefighter, even if they complete all the necessary training. Krienitz said state law requires firefighter candidates to take the same entrance exam, which the Aurora department offers every two years.
Cadets can stay employed in the part-time role until age 24, giving them at least two opportunities to take the exam and with the experience they've gained from on-the-job training, do well enough to earn a permanent position.
The department will accept cadet applications from anyone between 17 and 20, but will prioritize Aurora residents - the same people the department strives to keep healthy and safe.
"I want to grab these kids before they go out in the real world, and I want to keep them engaged in the fire service," Krienitz said. "I want them to succeed as firefighters."