ASHEVILLE, N.C. (828newsNOW) — For Asheville senior firefighter William Burnette, a career in the fire service started when he was 14 years old.

He was an Explorer.

Now, Burnette is helping bring the Asheville Fire Department’s Explorer Program back and is looking for a new group of young people interested in learning what it takes to become a firefighter.

Applications are open for Asheville Fire Department Explorer Post 77, a mentorship and training program for youths ages 14 to 18. The program is designed to give participants hands-on experience with firefighting, rescue response, equipment handling and first aid while also developing leadership and teamwork skills.

Applications are due Aug. 25.

Burnette said the program played a major role in his decision to pursue firefighting as a career.

“I started in the Explorer program when I was 14 years old,” Burnette said. “It was what allowed me to decide that I wanted to pursue this as a career.”

The program isn’t just for young people who want to become firefighters, he said.

Participants can gain communication, leadership, teamwork and other life skills even if they ultimately choose a different career.

“We’ve had a couple people that have graduated from our program and then gone on to work at Asheville Fire Department, as well as surrounding departments,” Burnette said.

The program has been offered for at least 15 years, according to Burnette, but it was discontinued following the COVID-19 pandemic and again after Tropical Storm Helene.

This is the department’s third go at the program.

The department hopes to recruit 15 to 20 young people for the new group. The program currently has four firefighter Explorer advisers and an executive committee chair helping organize it.

What Explorers learn

The yearlong program focuses heavily on practical firefighting skills.

Participants can learn how to pick up and throw ladders, conduct rescues using ladders, stretch hose lines, build mechanical advantage systems to move heavy objects and perform rapid-dress drills, where they practice putting on their protective gear as quickly as possible.

They won’t be fighting actual fires, Burnette said. Instead, the exercises are designed to replicate the types of skills firefighters use on the job.

The program also emphasizes leadership and communication.

Once the program officially gets underway, participants are expected to meet weekly for the first four weeks and then every other week.

The program is affiliated with the Boy Scouts of America’s Exploring program, which gives participating departments opportunities to conduct training, meetings and other activities.

One of the highlights each year is Winterfest, a regional competition in Gatlinburg, Tennessee, where Explorer posts from fire, law enforcement, EMS, rescue and other programs compete in events that test their skills.

For Burnette, Winterfest was one of his favorite parts of the program when he was a teenager.

“It was without a doubt the most fun part,” he said.

But he also remembers the friendships and the opportunity to train alongside other young people who shared his interest in the fire service.

A path into the fire service

Burnette participated in the Explorer Program from ages 14 to 18. After turning 18, he applied to fire departments in Weaverville and Hendersonville before eventually joining the Asheville Fire Department.

Now, he is serving as one of the program’s Explorer advisers.

“I enjoyed just hanging out with people and being able to train on something that I was very interested in as a career,” he said.

The department’s goal is to give teenagers a realistic look at the fire service before they have to decide whether it is the career path they want to pursue.

The initial kickoff meeting is tentatively planned for Sept. 21. Burnette said the first meeting will allow young people and their parents to learn more about the program, ask questions and get fitted for personal protective equipment.

The program is limited to 20 participants, so the department is encouraging interested applicants to apply early.

To request an application, contact Senior Firefighter William Burnette at wburnette@ashevillenc.gov. Completed applications are due Aug. 25.