Fire Service Exploring
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Fire Service Exploring (sometimes referred to as just "Fire Exploring" or Exploring) is one of the career-oriented programs offered by Learning for Life, a branch of the Boy Scouts of America.
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[edit] Description
Fire Service Exploring is a program offered by Learning for Life that introduces major aspects of the fire service to young adults ages 14-21. Once enough training has been acquired, Explorers can be allowed on actual fire/medical calls under certain conditions such as, but not limited to:
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- Explorers cannot enter a structure unless deemed stable and secure.
- Explorers must maintain a safe distance from a structural fire.
Certain local, state, and federal laws as well as National BSA Regulations restrict the duties an Explorer can perform on a fire ground or a medical call.
[edit] Training/Duties
Fire Explorers are trained in relatively basic tasks that can be performed to assist firefighters working on the fire ground or the site of a medical emergency. Those tasks range from dressing hydrants to filling air bottles.
[edit] Medical Training
Some fire exploring posts offer medical training which can be as basic as a simple first aid certification to as advanced as a first responder certification.
Very rarely does an Explorer get tasked to an EMS call. Such calls would have to be serious enough where the help is absolutely necessary such as mass casualty incidents (MCI), etc.
As mentioned before, there are many limits as to what an Explorer can and cannot do. The tasks are pretty much as simple as retrieving/returning equipment and possibly prepping oxygen tanks. The tasks also vary depending on level of medical certification.
[edit] Uniforms and Insignia
Fire Explorers receive uniforms that identify the department that their in and mentions that the individual is an Explorer. The types of uniforms are listed below.
| Official Uniform Name | Description of Uniform | Occasion |
|---|---|---|
| Class A | Light blue/Black dress shirt, Dark blue dress pants, dress shoes | Public events such as parades, funerals, fairs, etc. |
| Class B | T-shirt (duty shirt), pants | Station/Duty Wear |
| Turnout (Bunker) Gear | Bunker coat, bunker pants, bunker boots, hood, gloves, and helmet. | Field Wear |
Uniforms will almost always bear the insignia of Fire Exploring and/or the fire department they run out of. Class A uniforms can bear the American Flag shoulder badge, the official Fire Explorers badge , and sometimes the badge of the department they represent and various pins like name plates etc. The Class B uniform T-shirt will be a simple Explorers or fire department logo printed in the shirt. Turnout gear may or may not have much more than the name of the Explorer printed on the back on the jacket.
