Henderson County High School will offer a fire safety pathway next year, one of 10 schools in the state to do so.
In presentations to the Henderson County Fiscal Court and Henderson City Commission Tuesday, Henderson Fire Department Division Chief Casey Howard said the pathway could be a good feeder system for both HFD and county volunteer fire departments.
Howard said recruitment and retention is vital to HFD, especially when considering many of the current firefighters will be near retirement age in 10 years or so.
County volunteer departments are in the same boat.
“If we don’t get something going with this county…we’re going to age out,” Niagara VFD Chief Glen Powell told the Fiscal Court.
Additionally, Howard said that applications to become firefighters have declined by 80% in the last 40 years.
HFD Chief Josh Dixon said the school system will pay for the curriculum, and HFD will provide an instructor for the next two years.
He didn’t ask for financial assistance at Tuesday’s meeting but said if the program is successful in its first year, HFD representatives will return to discuss funding a full-time instructor.
Taught by experienced firefighters from the Henderson Fire Department, the Basic Firefighter I course will be part of the school’s Career and Technical Education unit.
“This class, launching next year, will serve as the foundation for the possibility of building a new Fire Science pathway within our CTE program,” said Amber Thomas, principal of HCHS.
Students enrolled in the course will gain hands-on experience, classroom instruction, and potential certification opportunities, ensuring they are well-prepared for further training or employment, said a release from Henderson County Schools.