The City of Warren’s Fire and EMS Explorer Post has recently received a couple of sizable donations that will help do just that – $3,000 from the Community Foundation of Warren County and $5,000 from Seneca Generation LLC.

Funds from the Community Foundation will be used for textbooks while the dollars from Seneca will be utilized for uniforms and gear.

We want the kids to get an inside look at what being a firefighter/EMT is all about,” City of Warren Firefighter TJ Danielson said. “We want them to learn the basic skills that a firefighter/EMT would perform daily, and thereafter master those skills.

It’s a community investment on a critical issue.

Photo provided to the Times Observer The Community Foundation of Warren County has made a $3,000 donation to the City of Warren’s Fire and EMS Explorer Post. In the photo are, from left, firefighters Shane Jones, Cameron Jewell and TJ Danielson, Explorers Landon Hasbrouck, Mason Moore and Jonathan Cox and Community Foundation of Warren County Executive Director Mark King.

“With escalating call volumes and an increasing number of departments grappling with manpower shortages, it is our aspiration that this contribution will play a pivotal role in shaping the future landscape of Fire and EMS services in Warren County,” Community Foundation Executive Director Mark King said.

“We want them to learn about leadership, communication skills, hands-on training, community service, being a team player, and above all else have fun doing it,” Danielson said. “The fire service is a calling and takes a special person to do it. These kids are eager to learn and come ready to learn every time they step foot in the station.

“As much as we are teaching them, they’re teaching us.”

The Explorer Post is open to anyone aged 14 to 18 who has an interest in the fire or emergency services. Applicants do not have to be residents of the City of Warren.

The Post meets from 6 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. on the first and third Wednesday of each month, according to the city website.

The advisors of the post have a wide range of experience levels,” Danielson said. “They all give great insight to the Explorers of their own on the job experience and challenges we may face on any given call and how to mitigate those challenges to the best of our ability.”

“Our explorers and leaders are grateful for the invaluable support and contributions provided by the Community Foundation of Warren County to our program and the broader community,” King added.