MARSHFIELD, WI (WSAU) — In Marshfield, a new “School to Work” program is being developed by the city’s fire and rescue department, and Relief Lieutenant Erik Jonas says all it’s part of an effort to buck a national trend that’s seeing new recruits down by around 80-to-85% in some locations.
“The Marshfield Fire Department has recognized the need to actively recruit local people,” Jonas explained. “So basically we’re trying to build a program in which we can pull potential candidates from central Wisconsin. This problem that the fire department is seeing with the lack of applicants is not specific to the Marshfield Fire Department. It’s regional and national in scope.”
Marshfield Fire and Rescue already has a fire safety and CPR outreach program in place for grade and middle schools; but now the goal is to reach high school students with the new career program.
“We’re going to utilize those relationships to build this ‘School to Work’ program,” Jonas said. “And we’re in the planning phase with Columbus High School, the Marshfield High School, and Mid-State Technical College to do that.”
Students would ‘shadow’ firefighters and EMS personnel as part of the program, especially for many of the daily tasks that happen around a fire station. Jonas explained that, “We’d have them come in, and basically shadow us throughout the day, and they would be doing exactly what we’re doing for non-emergency type stuff.”
The program will include both the public and parochial schools in Marshfield as well those as in outlying areas, and there could be possible tech. school credits at MSTC involved for participants.
Jonas says the program is just being set up now, but he hopes it could possibly be up-and-running by next fall.
