Teens learn to be firefighters
Borden-Carleton teenagers gaining experience while training with community’s volunteers
BORDEN-CARLETON – The Borden-Carleton Junior Fire Department was easy to find on a recent warm summer evening – just follow the water.
Anna Jesulaitis, 15, was aiming the hose and nozzle out over the lawn in front of the fire hall on Borden Avenue, sending a huge arc of mist and spray over the dry grass.
Soon, she handed it over to Macelyn Dwyer, 16, and, picking up a new hose, connected the piercing tool – a red-painted pipe that made a star-shaped spray.
A steady leak streamed water back onto the junior firefighter, who shrugged it off good-naturedly.
“It’s fun either way.” Madison Jessome, 17, Makyah Shaw, 15, and Matt Murphy, 16, chatted with each other and waited their turn. Maddy and William Arsenault, missing that night, round out the crew of juniors.
Amanda Kingman, 18, has just graduated to full-fledged firefighter, a decision made at the most recent town council meeting.
“It definitely prepares you for not only fire-related stuff … I’m going to university next year and know this is going to help me a lot,” said Kingman.
She still shows up at training on Thursdays, drawn by the friendships she has made.
“It’s nice to know you’re going to see the same people every Thursday.”
When her prom was cancelled in June due to the coronavirus (COVID-19 strain) pandemic, she went ahead with her booking for photos.
Midway through, the department’s fire trucks pulled up, lights and sirens filling the air.
“All the juniors surprised me,” she said. “Kind of made up for the senior year being messed up.”
On Thursdays, the firefighters-in-waiting are supervised by the Borden-Carleton Fire Department Captain Bobby Jesulaitis, who was standing at the pumper truck, the source of all the water.
He and Darrell Arsenault rekindled the junior department in June 2019.
Murphy was one of the first to sign up.
“Ever since I was a little
kid, it’s been something I’ve wanted to do, so when they started the junior fire department up, it was really a no-brainer for me,” said Murphy.
“You get to do work for your community as well as have fun and learn new things.”
His favourite tasks are getting to practise with the jaws of life and hooking up hoses to the pumper truck.
“We aways try to do something different every week so you have the different experiences,” said Jessome.
When she joins the adults, Jessome will be a third-generation firefighter. Her grandfather was once the town’s fire chief, and her father, Shawn Jessome, currently holds that position.
“Maybe someday I’ll be the chief, (you) never know!”
“It definitely prepares you for not only fire-related stuff … I’m going to university next year and know this is going to help me a lot.”
Amanda Kingman
Madison was one of the first four members of the most recent junior fire department while Shawn was one of the original junior firefighters back in the 1990s, when he was 16, said Madison.
“Twenty-eight years ago,” she calculated, lightning fast.
“I always look up to my dad, he’s my role model. He does very successful things in his life and I just want to be like him.”