High school students from around the state spent last week getting a taste of wildland firefighting last week during the Sweet Home High School Forestry Club’s fire school.
Ninety-three students from 11 schools participated in the event, which ran from Wednesday to Friday at Camp Tadmor, with live fire exercises Thursday on property managed by Cascade Timber Consulting, located approximately one mile east of the intersection of Highway 20 and Quartzville Road.
“This is the most we’ve ever had,” said Forestry Club Adviser Dustin Nichol. The previous maximum was about 80, from seven to eight schools. With instructors, the fire school had 113 individuals participating all week.
They were joined by about 10 staffers from the Oregon Department of Forestry, who ran the live fire exercises.
Participating schools included Sweet Home, Knappa, Clatskanie, Philomath, Scio, Amity, Sabin, Bonanza, Henley, Tillamook and Brookings Harbor Christian. Students from each are members of forestry clubs, Future Farmers of America programs and natural resource programs.
Seventy to 80 percent of the students are those Sweet Home’s Forestry Club sees at forestry competitions, Nichol said.
“Last night was classroom time with safety and PPE (personal protection equipment),” Nichol said Thursday. “Today is field work during the day and employment opportunities in natural resources and forestry.”
Friday, the students learned and practiced a variety of forestry skills, including compass and pace, a wildland fire table simulator, a dirt throwing competition and more.
It’s a fun program where natural resources students can connect with like-minded people from other communities, Nichol said. “The goal of this is to expose students to one aspect of natural resources and forestry. Fire suppression is huge. Fire prevention is a huge part of a forestry program. It’s not all about knocking down trees and making lumber.”
ODF often hires students who participate in the programs and the fire school, Nichol said, and the agency sends employees from different units to participate.
Nichol expressed thanks to CTC for providing space for the fire school.
“CTC finds so much value that they’re going to let high school students come on their ground and burn piles,” Nichol said. “It’s invaluable they’re willing to put themselves out there quite a lot to allow these kids to have this type of experience.”
Likewise, the School District takes on liability with the program, Nichol said, and it takes the responsibility and fosters the program.
“That is a huge deal with this day and age,” Nichol said.
Student goals are varied and may have little to do with forestry in the long run, and they find value in it different ways.
“It just really kind of opens you up,” said junior Callie Baker, who is leaning more toward welding. “You get to see something most people just don’t.”
Senior J.R. Szubart has enlisted in the U.S. Navy, but afterward, “I’m probably going to drive log trucks.”
Senior Caleb Winn will probably become a diesel mechanic, he said.
“You’ve got fire engines they need to work on.”
Junior Alexis Hanna is planning to go into nursing. She is involved “just for fun.”
Junior Nakeetah Wilson, who also plans to go into nursing, said she got involved for “the experience. Not many people get to experience this.”
Whatever the plans or reasoning, it looks good on a resume, Baker said.
“They learn good work ethics,” said SHHS Principal Ralph Brown. “Whatever area they go into down the road, this teaches them good work ethics. It’s just that one more thing giving every kid involved something positive in school.”
It teaches them some physical skills, and it’s good for them, Brown said. “They’re good kids, who become good productive citizens. I’m glad to be just a small part of it.”
“It’s a great recruitment tool for the ODF in general,” said Chad Calderwood, fire protection supervisor with the ODF Sweet Home Unit. “It’s great to get them away from the computers.”
They learn about natural resources, fire management and much more, he said, and they learn a work ethic, cohesiveness and teamwork.
Those traits are valuable in a variety of careers, Brown said.
He noted also that students enrolled in career and technical education programs like this tend to have higher graduation rates.
Brown said appreciates the efforts of Nichol, the parents, the ODF and CTC for their parts in it.