Students get inside look at firefighting careers

STERLING HEIGHTS — Eissa Hannakachl got a glimpse of his future this month. And he’s fired up about it.

Inside the cavernous engine bay at the Sterling Heights Fire Department’s Station No. 5 — with a gleaming red fire engine just a few yards away — the Stevenson High School junior envisioned himself one day living the life of a firefighter.

“I understand it’s a pretty hard job, but I feel like it’s something I can see myself doing in the future,” he said. “Coming here today really checked a lot of things.”

Hannakachl was one of more than 100 Utica Community Schools students who visited Fire Department headquarters in mid-January for a closer look at a career in public service. The department’s training staff guided students through a variety of activities fire personnel routinely perform and discussed what the job entails.

Hands-on demonstrations included CPR, rope and knot tying, and hustling into protective gear. Classroom discussion focused on the high points of a fire/rescue service job and next steps students could take in pursuing the occupation.

Students acknowledged the effort and danger involved with the job but said they liked the schedule (nine 24-hour shifts a month), six-figure salary opportunities and camaraderie the career offers. More importantly, students appreciated the idea of performing meaningful, life-saving public service and making a difference in the community.

“Every day is hard, but by the end of the day I would feel rewarded knowing that you’ve saved someone’s life,” Hannakachl said.

The hands-on firefighter/paramedic experience for UCS students was an extension of the school district’s goal of identifying possible careers for students before they receive their diplomas.

“We try to make sure that our students all have something in mind when they graduate,” said Lisa Hallam, the district’s post-secondary success coach. “We want them to have a purpose when they graduate.”

Hallam worked with Sterling Heights Fire Department Chief of Training Matthew Schodowski to arrange the “mini-academy” for students from all four UCS high schools.

“Matt reached out to us,” she said. “He wanted to brainstorm about what we could do to show kids what this career pathway would look like.”

Schodowski’s intent was providing “some actual insights of what a day in the life looks like if you were to go down this career path.”

“That’s obviously the goal of this, to introduce that this is an option,” he said, adding that the experience also was designed to benefit students who don’t want to move forward in a fire career.

“We realize that not everyone is going to go on this career path,” Schodowski said, “But at a minimum, we’re going to be able to equip them with life skills that everyone should possess. Everyone should know how to tie a series of ropes and knots. Everyone should know how to do hands-only CPR. Everyone should know how to perform an abdominal thrust, also known as the Heimlich maneuver.”

Schodowski also lectured students about setting goals, building a strong work ethic and pursuing success at work and at home.

Sterling Heights Fire Department Training Officer Andrew Pham, who spent time introducing students to firefighting gear and racing them to suit up properly, said students who qualify for a career with the Fire Department will find it rewarding on many levels.

“It’s excellent,” he said. “The benefits are amazing. The ability to have a good life for your family is amazing.

“The ability to have a 25-year career and then move on with your life. It gives you a lot of options,” Pham said.

Sterling Heights Fire Department EMS Coordinator Justin Emerson said a career in the department is great for someone who wants to challenge themselves and have an impact on others.

“Everyone wants responsibility,” he said. “This job especially gives you a lot of responsibility where someone’s life depends on you. It just makes you feel good knowing that you’ve made a difference.”

By the end of his tour of the department on Jan. 16, UCS student Bennett Kohler-Lewis sounded ready to answer the bell.

“It seems like a pretty cool job. I think it’s what I’d like to do,” he said. “I like the fast pace. It goes along with what I like to do.”