Baltimore Fire Dept. Partners With City Schools to Recruit Students
BALTIMORE (WJZ)—Though there are tens of thousands of people living in Baltimore City who need jobs, the fire department says it's had trouble getting city residents to apply.
But one plan is allowing some Baltimore high school residents to start their careers while still in school.
Malika Gross, Brandon Allen, Alexis Mack, Tyonna McClain are the first class of Baltimore City high school students who have been taken under the wing of the fire department.
Though they just graduated high school, they've earned their Emergency Medical Technician credential and worked alongside recruits.
They will soon be welcomed as full-fledged fire fighters.
"I was in class with 30-year-olds, 40-years-old and I'm taking this career at 19," said Tyonia McClean.
"You help people, every day you can go home with the satisfaction that you changed people's lives or saved it," said Brandon Allen.
There were 21 students when they started, but these were the four that could handle the college level class work.
A hundred more teens are in the pipeline literally climbing the career ladder.
"And we've heard nothing but positive things back from the providers, that's got to feel good, very good," said Lt. Mike Hogan, who works at the training academy.
It's important to the department that as many firefighters as possible are city residents.
"What we get from city residents is people who have a vested interest in understanding the neighborhoods and the demographics of those neighborhoods and how to interact with those people," said Samuel Johnson, Baltimore City Fire Department spokesperson.
The fire department says this program is working so well they're going to expand it in Vivan Thomas, Frederic Douglas, Patterson and Dunbar high schools.
The next round of high school recruiting will happen when school resumes in the fall.
