Central High School Students Turn Up the Heat in Live Fire Training Exercise

They’ve learned the skills. They’ve trained in the gear. Now, Central High School students are experiencing the heat.

On Wednesday, students in the school’s Firefighter/EMT Career and Technical Education (CTE) program put on their full gear and entered a controlled burning building alongside Providence firefighters.

“It was pretty scary, but honestly my mind is mostly focused on the mission and what I’m supposed to be doing,” Central Senior Deyvi Rosario said. “Becoming a firefighter has always been a dream of mine. I want to save lives.”

Families, partners, city and school officials watched on the sidelines as students put their training into action and put out the flames.

“When I saw the fire come out of the window, I was very nervous, but I knew everything was under control,” Candido Dominguez, parent and uncle of two CTE students, said. “This is definitely a good opportunity to see what they may want to do for their career. I wish I had that back in my days, but you never know they could become the future firefighters of Providence.”

Members of Central’s fifth Firefighter/EMT CTE cohort have spent the past several weeks developing the skills, discipline and teamwork needed to pursue a career in public service. This included search and rescue drills, climbing ground ladders, and breaking through doors. The live burn drill is the capstone of the Academy.

“This is the kind of hands-on experience that makes our Firefighter/EMT CTE program so powerful,” said Providence Public School District Superintendent Dr. Javier Montañez. “These students chose to spend their summer challenging themselves and preparing for a career dedicated to serving others. This is an amazing way of paying it forward and making sure that we keep our community safe.”

Students will spend their senior year of high school building on those baseline skills by executing complex, high-stakes vehicle extrication rescues and completing two shift ride-alongs with the Providence Fire Department. They will have the opportunity to see firsthand how career firefighters respond to real emergency calls.

Through a partnership with the Community College of Rhode Island, students will also take part in a year-long Emergency Medical Technician (EMT) program, with weekly, intensive medical labs covering trauma, cardiac arrest, patient stabilization and making split-second decisions under extreme stress.

A community volunteer with Junior Achievement of Rhode Island will also teach the JA Financial Literacy program in the spring to ensure all students have essential economic education skills they can use now and in their future careers.

“It is critical for students to learn about different career opportunities and explore them before graduation,” said Junior Achievement of Rhode Island President Lee Lewis. “Junior Achievement’s goal is to ensure all young people have the skillset and mindset to build thriving communities. The Providence Firefighter CTE program is doing just that. As an education partner providing curriculum and resources, JA is grateful to be part of this collaborative effort with Providence Public Schools, Providence Fire Department, and the City of Providence.”

The Firefighter/EMT CTE Pathway serves as a direct pipeline to careers in public safety, with three students from previous cohorts already serving as firefighters and two more getting ready to begin in September. The program is open to Central High School juniors and seniors. Admission is competitive with only a handful of students selected each year.

“I truly foresee the future of civil service is getting into the schools and exposing students to these professions,” Chief of Training for the Providence Fire Department Felix Ramos said. “Providence is a trailblazer in creating this program that opens up so many doors after graduation.”