High School Student Starts Junior Volunteer Fire Fighter Program for Dormont
Meet Myles Masery. He is a junior at Keystone Oaks High School and is finishing up his third year in the Public Safety Technology program at Parkway West Career & Technology Center. His passion for public safety and for helping others drove him to approach the Dormont Volunteer Fire Department about starting a junior firefighter program. This February, Myles became the department’s first junior firefighter.
“Ever since I was a kid, I’ve been interested in medicine and in helping people,” Myles said. “Enrolling in the public safety program at Parkway and becoming a volunteer firefighter just seemed like a natural fit.”
He credits his father with helping him make the right connections with the fire department.
“I asked my dad about approaching a friend of his who volunteers with the department and he has been very supportive of my getting involved,” Myles said.
In the few months since becoming a junior firefighter, Myles has responded to more than a half dozen emergency calls, including a call at one o’clock in the morning. Although regulations prohibit him from operating a vehicle or entering a building that is on fire, Myles is able to support the other first responders by getting tools and equipment they need and by helping with clean up.
“One of the calls I assisted with was a fire in the basement,” Myles recalled. “Even though I was only able to be on the front porch, it was such an adrenaline rush to be there and to be able to help out.”
Chuck Arrigo, president of the Dormont Volunteer Firemen’s Association, said the department had been kicking around the idea of starting a junior program when they were approached by Myles.
“It is very difficult to find people that want to join the volunteer fire department as adults because of the time commitment and the training requirements,” Arrigo said. “By starting a junior program, we hope to get a great pool of talented young men and women interested in fire service at an early age so that they continue their service into adulthood.”
Arrigo said that Myles was an ideal candidate because he had received all of the training necessary to become a junior firefighter through his classes at Parkway. He has certifications in Fire History, Fire Ground Support, Victim Rescue, Hazmat, Search and Rescue (ropes) and CPR. Myles was also recently named the EMS Captain at Parkway.
In addition to training at Parkway West, where a number of his classmates volunteer for their community’s fire department, Myles trains with the Dormont Volunteer Fire Department two times per month.
“Myles is a great kid and I think he will do well in the fire service as a volunteer and most likely as a career down the road, as I’m sure that is his ultimate goal,” Arrigo said.
Myles would like to become a flight nurse, a highly trained nurse that provides comprehensive care during rescue operations aboard helicopters and other aircraft. During his senior year, he will take classes in the Health Assistant program at Parkway to help him reach his goal.
“To me, the best part of this field is knowing that you are helping people out,” he said. “It also feels great to give back to my community by volunteering my time with the Dormont Volunteer Fire Department,” Myles said.