By Nancy Bean Foster
Union Leader Correspondent
MILFORD, N.H — The town’s fire, police, ambulance and communications departments have come together to offer kids a chance to see first-hand the situations emergency responders face on a daily basis.
The “Exploring” program, organized through the Boys Scouts’ Daniel Webster Council, gives boys and girls, age 14 to 21, a chance to experience different career fields up close while building life skills, citizenship, character and leadership experience.
Though Exploring can happen in any number of career fields, including those in the arts, social sciences, and even aviation, in Milford the town’s emergency services departments have joined together to give Explorers a view of how emergency responders work together.
“We’re the only town in the state that combines all four emergency services for our Explorers,” said Lt. Dennis Shepard, who heads the program for the fire department.
The Milford program has five members between the ages of 15 and 18 who are given a chance to see emergencies in action and are being trained to actually step in to help.
At the fire department, the kids are training alongside seasoned firefighters and are receiving the same type of knowledge and experience career firefighters depend on to do their jobs.
“When Explorers get through with this program, they’ll be able to take the Level 1 firefighters test with no problem,” Shepard said.
Because all firefighters now also have to be trained Emergency Medical Technicians, the Explorers are also working with the Milford Ambulance Service.
According to director Eric Schelberg, the Explorers receive a CPR, first aid and Automated External Defibrillator training course that allows them to ride along on emergency calls.
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