Learning from the Pros

Poughkeepsie by Mahopac Falls firefighter and former Explorer Brian Neary (above right) teaches students about hose relays. Young firefighters (right) emerge from the smoke-filled building with a new understanding of life. Eighty-six young people from the entire New York Metropolitan area are better trained in firefighting techniques thanks to the efforts of a small army of professional and volunteer firefighters.

The Lake Carmel FD Explorer Post conducted its 8th annual training weekend last Saturday and Sunday, when teens interested in becoming emergency providers spent 24 hours at the Putnam County Veterans Memorial Park.

Explorers is a division of the Boy Scouts of America that provides young people with developmental programs for careers in fire, EMS, and police work. The Brewster Fire Department also sponsors an Explorer post, as does the Kent Police Department, and the Putnam County Sheriff’s Department with its Cadet Corps.

Eric Gross Erin Scott of the Lake Carmel FD, herself a former member of the Explorer post, credited the instructors for their dedication and hard work: “The students are learning so much that will hopefully plant the seed needed to have them become members of their local fire service. Today’s youth are the future of emergency services.”

Youngsters learned about air bag deployment at the scenes of accidents, assisting victims of car crashes, hazardous materials scenes, fighting brush fires, and search and rescue operations from members of the Putnam Bureau of Emergency Services as well as representatives of the Lake Carmel, Putnam Lake, Mahopac Falls, Mahopac, Carmel, and Kent fire departments.

Kim Galaraga of Carmel described the experience as “very beneficial. I decided to take part because I thought it would be cool. It’s more than that. I am learning what it means to save a life.”

Former Mahopac Chief Drew Kinash, a paid firefighter with the FDNY, stressed, “teamwork was a prime component of the program. The students learn about the chain of command, which is critical at the scenes of major emergencies and crisis situations.”

Ex-Lake Carmel Chief Robert Shannon agreed: “Programs like this give youngsters a hands-on experience as to what emergency services are all about. I remember as a kid following both my late grandfather, Harry Shannon, and my late dad, Bobby Shannon, to the scenes of numerous alarms, which set me on the road to aiding those in need.”