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| By Sarah M. Corigliano Assistant Managing Editor EAST LONGMEADOW For the last 12 years, the East Longmeadow Fire Department has mentored young people who are interested in a future in that field. The Fire Explorers program, which is affiliated with the Boy Scouts of America, is open to local young men and women between the ages of 14 and 21. East Longmeadow Fire Fighter Brian Falk explained to The Reminder that, while the Explorers are not allowed to actively fight a fire or enter a structure, the program allows them to be on the scene and assist professional fire fighters. Falk is the head advisor of the program in East Longmeadow. He said, currently, Fire Explorers are not able to take advantage of that opportunity to respond to a fire and assist East Longmeadow fire fighters because of liability issues and the fact that they don't have all the proper equipment. The program also is limited to 12 members because the equipment they have would only dress that many Explorers. "It's career-oriented, which is one reason why they need fire equipment," Falk explained. He said the Fire Explorers are issued fire boots, bunker pants, bunker coats, and hoods and gloves, which are new. Falk explained that some coats and pants were donated from Longmeadow and East Longmeadow, which are in good condition, but the fire helmets the Explorers have been wearing date back to the 1980s. "They're kind of beat up and we are trying to replace them so, at some point, with good equipment, we may be able to work it so they can respond to certain types of fire calls and assist the department," he added. He said better equipment would bring the Explorers program in East Longmeadow closer to meeting current national Fire Protection Association standards, and the Explorers would be identified easily on the scene by the color of their helmets. "If we ever get clearance they would be able to respond [to fire calls with the department], but they would not be able to go inside a structure or use hand tools or power tools," he said. " They can work the hose lines or raise ladders ... the closest we have done on live fire was extinguisher training with them." He added that Explorers have had forest fire training on a limited basis from the Department of Environmental Management and Forestry, which made them familiar with forest fire fighting equipment and taught them how to build fire lines. Other off-site training has brought them to Westover to learn about aircraft fire fighting, or to larger cities to see situations that do not occur in smaller towns. Falk said the Explorer program is important to help young adults who are interested in the field to get hands-on experience with fire fighting. It also serves as a recruiting tool for a department which Falk said is staffed mostly by Baby Boomers. The East Longmeadow Fire Explorer Post 525 just ordered and received four more new fire helmets, bringing to seven the number of helmets which meet current codes. They hope to be able to purchase seven more helmets by the end of the year to adequately outfit 14 Fire Explorers. Falk said the Post needs to raise $1,015 (the helmets cost $145 each) to meet this need. Anyone wishing to contribute may contact Brian Falk at 519-0698 or Darren Langford at 525-8654. Checks should be made out to Post 525. |