John Whitmore, left, Diego Santiago, Justin Thompson and Tyanna Cole of Zone 3 Explorers strike a pose at Maple Valley Fire Station 81. LEAH ABRAHAM, The Reporter

John Whitmore, left, Diego Santiago, Justin Thompson and Tyanna Cole of Zone 3 Explorers strike a pose at Maple Valley Fire Station 81. LEAH ABRAHAM, The Reporter

Area Explorers gear up for firefighter competition

On one of the hottest June evenings of the year, as the weather settles into a scorching 85 degrees, four teenagers head outside Maple Valley Fire Station 81 in full firefighter bunker gear.

This group of Zone 3 Explorers cheer each other on as they complete stair climbs, hose hoists, hose advances and other firefighter challenges.

These challenges are their way of preparing for the upcoming Musters, a competition staged each year for Explorer units from the Puget Sound region.

Zone 3 Explorers – a program for young adults aged 14 to 21 – is designed to train them to work in the fire service.

“On the face of it, it is an introduction to the fire service for young people,” said Capt. Kyle Ohashi of the Puget Sound Regional Fire Authority.

Part of the Boy Scouts of America, the Explorers program allows participants to support local fire departments at emergency scenes with rehabilitation, receive hands-on fire service and emergency response training and participate in public outreach. It is ideal for kids who are interested in careers in the fire or emergency medical services careers.

“You’re trying to teach kids basic skills that are going to benefit them in the later years,” Ohashi said. “Kids, when they want to get into a program like this, are committing to learning things that will be essential to the adults who will hire them, whether it is in the fire service or anything else. They’re being taught about discipline, being able to make good choices, leadership and teamwork.”

Justin Thompson, 17, of Hazen High School can attest to this.

Thompson, who joined the Explorers four months ago, said that he was trying to figure out life earlier in the year. It wasn’t until he participated in the firefighter challenge hosted by Renton Regional Fire Authority that he learned about the program.

“When I did the combat challenge, I was figuring out what I wanted to do with my future,” he said. “The firefighter challenge was sort of impressionable on me. … I really liked that.”

“It’s a family connection”

For Diego Santiago, also a 17-year-old from Hazen High School, the program is a step closer to his dream of being a firefighter. While he gets the physical training he needs for the future, he said the program has helped him come out of his shell.

“I’ve been in the program for 10 months. It’s definitely made me more social,” he said. “I came in very quite. I wouldn’t open up; I wouldn’t talk, I wouldn’t do anything. Next thing you know, I’m talking to these guys. We have such an incredible bond now. It’s opened me up to so many experiences. It’s given me the chance to serve my community. … It’s not only that we’re buddies, it’s a family connection. We feel free with each other.”

Santiago isn’t the only one who has socially blossomed after joining the Explorers.

Tyanna Cole, 17-year-old from Enumclaw described herself as a shy and reserved girl when she first joined.

“When I first joined I was the most quite kid. I didn’t say a single word in the first year. Maybe a word or two in the second meeting…. A year later I was chatting with everybody, making jokes and having fun.”

The program is shaped to emulate the family-like bond between firefighters, according to Ohashi.

“That (structure) has translated down into the explorer program,” he said. “We teach them the same idea. If they decide to go into the fire service, they’re that much more better oriented to do it. If they chose to do something else, that sense of teamwork will benefit them all their lives.”

The physical training and the community-centered model helps Explorers mature, according to Battalion Chief Ken Whitmore, who is also a program adviser and parent of 15-year-old Explorer John Whitmore.

“(The program) makes them look in themselves. It’s developing who they are as a person,” Whitmore said. “It makes them think. It develops who they are going to be as a person, and an adult eventually. It lets them find out if this is something they’re interested in as community service, a career or both.”

The program is also a resume booster, said Ohashi. It offers experience and certifications that make potential firefighters more employable, especially since the economy is doing well and many departments are hiring.

Apart from receiving fire and emergency service training, Explorers also attend various large events in Zone 3, which covers in Renton, Tukwila, Kent, SeaTac, Burien, Highline, Federal Way and Enumclaw. They attend events like Seafair, Renton River Days and Kent Cornucopia to help educate the public and volunteer their services.

The program is open for anyone aged 14-21 who is interested in fire and/or emergency medical service careers. To apply to the program or for more information visit zone3explorers.com.


Talk to us

Please share your story tips by emailing editor@kentreporter.com.

To share your opinion for publication, submit a letter through our website https://www.kentreporter.com/submit-letter/. Include your name, address and daytime phone number. (We’ll only publish your name and hometown.) Please keep letters to 300 words or less.

Tyanna Cole, left, laughs as the Explorers help her take her boots off. LEAH ABRAHAM, The Reporter

Tyanna Cole, left, laughs as the Explorers help her take her boots off. LEAH ABRAHAM, The Reporter

More in News

Kent police investigate fatal two-vehicle collision

The collision killed a woman and left a 45-year-old Tacoma driver, suspected of intoxication at the time of the crash, hospitalized.

Competing for the 8th Congressional District: Carmen Goers, left, and Kim Schrier. COURTESY PHOTOS
Adam Smith and Kim Schrier will retain Congress seats | Election 2024

Smith represents the 9th Congressional District and Schrier represents the 8th Congressional District.

Courtesy of Democratic Caucus
Pictured left to right: Sen. Bob Hasegawa (D), Rep. David Hackney, and Rep. Steve Bergquist
Democratic incumbents in lead for 11th Legislative District

Bob Hasegawa, David Hackney and Steve Bergquist have strong leads, with Hasegawa and Hackney running unopposed.

Debra Entenman and Kyle Lyebyedyev. File photos
Entenman and Stearns lead in 47th District | Election 2024

The district includes Kent, Covington and Auburn.

File photo
Kent School District levy is failing at the polls | Election 2024

Early election results show voters rejecting the proposed Capital Projects and Technology Levy.

Larry Best, a customer coordinator for quality assurance who has worked at Boeing for 38 years, stands outside of Angel of the Winds Arena with a “vote no” sign on Monday in Everett. (Olivia Vanni / The Herald)
Boeing Machinists approve contract, ending 52-day strike

After voting no twice, 59% of union members approved the latest contract.

Photos from the United States Attorney's Office Western District of Washington press release.
Kent man arrested in connection to violent drug trafficking gang investigation

Law enforcement seized more than 20 kilograms of fentanyl, 60 firearms, and more than $130,000 in cash.

Courtesy Photo, King County
Son accused of fatally shooting mother’s boyfriend in Kent back in jail

Dondre Butler has 3 violations in 13 months of electronic home detention after charged with murder in 2022

t
Kent Police targeted street patrols result in arrest of two felons

One driver spotted in a vehicle with no plates; another driver reportedly in a stolen vehicle

t
Kent cold case murder suspect back in state after governor’s warrant | Update

Kenneth Kundert fought extradition from Arkansas after August arrest in 1980 killing of Dorothy Silzel

t
City of Kent eyes November opening for Reith Road roundabouts

Two more roundabouts will bring total in city to six; three more in future plans