New Program to Get Teens Interested in a Career in Firefighting

Friday, February 24th, 2023 -- 11:01 AM

(By Hope Kirwan, Wisconsin Public Radio) When Josh Bostedt was hired as chief of Oconto Fire & Rescue almost three years ago, he was interested in expanding fire education from middle school students to high school kids.

According to Hope Kirwan with Wisconsin Public Radio, Bostedt said he hoped letting students try their hand at some fire-fighting skills would not only increase awareness of fire prevention but get the teenagers thinking about pursuing firefighting after graduation.

When he heard about the Youth Firefighter Training grant program created in the 2021-23 state budget, Bostedt said he immediately started working on the grant application to create a program with Northeast Wisconsin Technical College and Oconto High School.

They received $17,982 in the program's first round of funding last May and used it to buy gear for 10 students during the first class this fall. "The grant for us was a very huge aspect in us being able to get these students in fire gear," Bostedt said. "I did not have the availability within the Oconto Fire Department to even have a resource for gently-used fire gear. So for us, it was a huge help."

Gov. Tony Evers has proposed renewing the Youth Firefighter Training grant program in his state budget proposal and doubling the amount of funding the program received in the last budget, with $100,000 in each budget year.

Recipients of the first grants say they're hopeful the program will continue and will help address a shortage of firefighters serving the state's mostly volunteer departments.

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