RED LODGE — As summer approaches, Montana faces a significant demand for wildland firefighters, with over 900 job openings statewide.
This year, the Red Lodge community is preparing its youth for these critical roles through a new Fire Science class at Red Lodge High School.
Students in the dual credit program, which is in its first year, are gaining hands-on experience with real-world firefighting skills.
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“It’s a great way to help out,” said Calvin Garmann, a Red Lodge High School senior. "I'm super interested in volunteer work, kind of give back to the community that's given me so much."
The course is a collaboration between Red Lodge Fire Rescue, the high school, and Montana State University Billings, made possible through a grant from the Dennis and Phyllis Washington Foundation.
"The Montana's Future at Work grant is designed to provide a pathway for high school seniors when they graduate to receive a credential that will allow them to be employable immediately out of high school graduation," said Alan Lohof, MSU-Billings Fire Science Degree program director. "We're working with Lockwood, Columbus and Red Lodge High Schools and their respective fire departments."
The class, which meets five days a week, provides students with valuable experience fighting structure and wildland fires.
"At the end of the class, they'll come away with their wildland firefighting certificate. They'll be able to deploy out on wildland fires if they so choose," said Torsten Prahl, assistant chief of Red Lodge Fire Rescue. "We have the class set up where we have kind of a day of lecture and then a couple days of activities."
Maycee Garmann said her favorite part of the class is the wildland firefighting.
"I think I'll probably volunteer a lot in college. I might minor in something fire-related to it," Maycee Garmann said. "It started out as just taking a class and I think for all of us this became a lot bigger than that."
