Sergeant Bluff Fire and Rescue is partnering with Sergeant Bluff-Luton Community Schools for its own Fire Science Academy program next semester for the first time. The program allows students to earn both high school and college credit while training at the fire station.
Fire Chief Anthony Gaul, who previously split time between teaching Sioux City’s Fire Science Academy and serving as the volunteer fire chief. He is now full-time with the department. “We’ve had a few 100 people through that over the last year, so I’m excited to get a chance to teach again,” said Gaul.
He said he is excited to be investing more into his community in this capacity, “This is, it’s unique. It’s in my own community. It’s in the community that I grew up in. I graduated from Sergeant Bluff.”
The students will actually come to the fire station for this training. “They’ll get high school and college credit for the classes that we’re going to do. They will transfer right into Western Iowa Tech’s program for fire science,” said Gaul. The academy is open to five other community high schools, including Westwood, Woodbury Central, Lawton-Bronson, Hinton, and West Monona.
Sergeant Bluff-Luton Superintendent Chad Janzen said one student from another school will participate this semester, so far, with others planning to join next fall. There are students who are already volunteering in the department as well. “We’ve always had students in Sergeant Bluff at the school on the fire department. Anywhere from 2-3 students on average on any given year. There are five now, really exciting for our community and for the fire department. This is just another way to expand those opportunities for those kids,” said Janzen.
Students will attend one class every other day during the semester, receiving comprehensive training in fire science fundamentals. “From materials to ropes and knots to firefighting equipment and the difference in the apparatus. They’re actually going to get a couple of national certifications along with that class as well,” Gaul said.