Lake Orion High School grads Sarah Racer (2004) and Dustin O’Neil (2005) are part of the 28-member class currently training at the Oakland Fire Academy.
The cadets are part of the academy’s 39th class and are getting hands-on training at Oakland Community College’s CREST center.
The CREST center (which stands for Combined Regional Emergency Services Training) lets the cadets practice every facet of the job.
For example, last week, their fifth of a 10-week course, Racer and O’Neil spent two days in vehicle extrication training.
‘This is part of what they’re going to see when they get out on the job,? said instructor John Ewing.
‘Of course, being Dragons, they are the elite of the class,? he added of Racer and O’Neil.
For their part, the pair said they are enjoying the academy and learning plenty along the way.
‘It’s not every day you get to walk up to a vehicle and tear it to shreds,? Racer noted. ‘It’s just an excellent course with great instructors.?
‘It’s really hands-on, you get to see and do everything,? added O’Neil.
The CREST center, located on OCC’s Auburn Hills campus, offers a training ‘city,? providing realistic settings for real-life problems faced by emergency responders.
The facility features furnished houses, a bank, convenience store, motel and five-story live fire training tower, among other things.
‘We are able to take the students out and train them hands-on in the field they want to pursue,? said Debbie Bayer, Director of Emergency Services Training at CREST.
In addition to the elaborate city-scape, the fire academy is helped out with the donation of vehicles for extrication training.
‘We have eight vehicles donated by the Ford Motor Company,? Ewing said. ‘They’ve been supplying our cars for the past eight years.?
Among the things cadets learn during vehicle extrication training is how to use tools to gain access to a passenger and how to establish a safety scene.
Ewing said the job of a responder has changed over the years because of new car technology.
In two weeks, the class will visit Pine Tree Elementary to help educate students on fire awareness.
‘It will be a lot of fun,? O’Neil said, noting they will be teaching students about smoke detectors and the stop, drop and roll technique.
Stay with The Review for a look at the academy’s visit to Lake Orion, set for April 23.