Come June, Squamish's Nitin Nand will be the first Junior Fire Academy grad to be hired as a Squamish Fire Rescue volunteer firefighter.
Nand, an apprentice electrician, is currently completing the Squamish Fire Rescue volunteer recruit program.
It will wrap up in June.
Nand previously completed two Junior Fire Academy sessions when he was in grades 11 and 12 at Howe Sound Secondary.
Each spring, the academy takes a handful of qualified and interested Howe Sound Secondary students and puts them through the paces of what it is like to be a Squamish firefighter.
The academy, held at Fire Hall 1, the Valleycliffe training hall, was intense, but also a fun way to learn more about the career of firefighting, Nand said.
"That allowed me to get a good feel for what they do and how they practise," he said.
"I went home and thought about it, and I could see myself doing this, later on."
At the upcoming two-day academy in May, youth will be putting out more fires than in previous years, including extinguishing a fully engulfed car fire on the second day, according to Neil Deo, a veteran volunteer firefighter, and organizer of the academy.
The first day, the students do air pack training, the second day is cutting up cars — as sometimes firefighters have to do at accident scenes — and putting out fires, he said.
The camaraderie among the firefighters who led the academy was a nice surprise, Nand said.
"You always feel supported," he added.
Currently in its fifth year, the academy is part of Squamish Fire Rescue’s community outreach, but it is also a recruiting tool for volunteers.
"We get to hook these people with their interest," said Deo. "Then, a couple of years down the road, see them starting to apply."
While there are a lot of things for youth to do in town, not a lot of it is geared at community service, which firefighting is, Deo said.
The academy is sponsored by local businesses that donate funds for the food, shirts, hats and other items that students receive when they attend.
Grade 12 attendees are eligible for a bursary.
In the fall of 2018, after he graduated from Howe Sound Secondary in June, Nand applied to be a Squamish Fire Rescue volunteer.
The academy prepared him for what to expect during the physical testing phase of recruitment, he said.
Firefighting is in the family genes, too. Deo is Nand's uncle.
Nand said seeing his uncle run out to Fire Rescue calls, even in the middle of family dinners at his grandma's house, helped him understand what level of devotion is expected of a firefighter.
Intake to be a paid, on-call volunteer firefighter starts in late summer, and is always competitive.
Those accepted must be available for the six-month recruit program from January to June.
Training is provided two days a week and 100 per cent attendance is required.
Each recruit is expected to make a three-year commitment to Squamish Fire Rescue.
Nand said as intense as it is, Nand said he feels great about his choice to pursue volunteer firefighting.
"Not looking back," he said.
Howe Sound Secondary students can apply to the upcoming Junior Fire Academy through the school.
Anyone interested in becoming a volunteer firefighter can find out more at squamish.ca,
