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"Our best today for a better tomorrow" The Waxahachie Fire Explorer Program educates youth between the ages of fourteen to twenty about a career in the fire service while providing experiences to help them mature and prepare them to become responsible and caring adults. The Explorer Experience Designed by the Learning for Life extension of the Boy Scouts of America and sponsored by the Waxahachie Fire Department, Post 405 provides the opportunity to experience the fire service first hand through classroom instruction and hands-on skills training. Subject areas include firefighter safety and personal protective equipment, fire science, fire extinguishers, first aid and CPR, fire suppression, fire prevention, search/rescue, ladders, ropes, knots and rappelling, forcible entry, search and rescue, and hazardous materials. With their parent's or guardian's approval and after the proper training, explorers may ride-along with fire personnel on shift to actual emergencies and respond as a support component of all second-alarm (or greater) fires. Community Service Explorers care about their community. This is evident through their participation in activities such as litter pick-up, building houses with Habitat for Humanity, participation in National Night Out and helping with fire prevention efforts.
Firefighting is a team sport. Firefighters always work in pairs for safe and efficient operations. Explorers learn the importance of functioning in this team-oriented environment, especially during training and ride-alongs. Every year, other fire explorer posts throughout the Dallas area come together to compete in the Dallas Fire Games. This competition allows the explorers to demonstrate the hands-on skills they have learned, while attempting to win trophies and bragging rights. In previous years, several awards have been won by Post 405, including 1st place in 2003.
Leadership Under Development Most impressive, however is the fact that the program is run by the youth members. Each year, explorers elect their peers into positions of responsibility such as post Captain, Lieutenant(s), Secretary and Treasurer. Standing behind these explorers are the adult "advisors" (firefighters) who provide the needed support, guidance and instruction. "Our best today for a better tomorrow" is the explorer motto...explorers exemplify this by initiating their involvement in various roles of responsibility, maintaining a passing grade point average, participating in a physical training (PT) program and making a positive difference in their communities.
To provide equal opportunity for membership, each explorer's uniform and personal protective equipment are provided at no cost to them. This allows interested youth to not be limited by their family's financial situation. Openings, therefore, are only dictated by available resources. Each year, explorers hold several fundraisers such as car washes and selling reflective address signs to raise money for the program to operate. The amount raised, however, does not meet the amount needed. Individual and corporate sponsors and gifts are always needed and welcomed. For more information on the program or individual or corporate donations to the Waxahachie Fire Explorer Program, please contact: Waxahachie Fire Department
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