Many residents of Stegenga Hall know the dreaded sounds of the fire alarm startling them awake in the early hours of the morning. At that same time, a firefighter is also being awoken as they make their way to the Orange City Fire Station and onto a truck headed towards the dorm.
Throughout the years, men and women of this community have served others by becoming firefighters. This has even included multiple Northwestern students who are provided a unique opportunity to become firefighters through the OCFD Student Firefighter Program.
“This program is for men and women who want to get involved and make a difference by helping our community,” said Assistant Fire Chief Dan Roghair. “Firefighting is not for everyone, but it requires ordinary people to see and desire to overcome challenges.”
Through this program, students would receive training in firefighting skills and procedures while being provided experience by going on fire calls with the department.
Starting in 2001, the student firefighter program has trained 49 local students. The first NW students enter the program in 2004.
Since then, 13 students have completed the course, with five of them going on to become professional firefighters and making it a full-time career. One of those students was Ryan Cougill, a 2020 graduate who has spent his years after graduation as a professional firefighter.
Cougill heard about the program through a former teammate on the Raider football team.
While a student firefighter, Cougill was able to complete his basic training to be a first-level firefighter while he learned many new skills on fire calls and real-life experiences.
Cougill recalls how his training at NW paired well with the experience offered by the OCFD through transferable life skills.
“I think NW and the department helped me become a dependable employee in the aspects of work ethic, integrity, and how to treat people,” Cougill said.
His training both at NW and at OCFD beneficially impacted him in his life outside of college.
Roghair supports the notion that this program won’t only provide experience in the field of firefighting, but also benefit an individual throughout life.
“Our current members of the fire department are involved in many professions, but they share a desire to serve the community. This program is an opportunity to serve others, and through it, all will benefit,” Roghair said.
Being a student and an active servant in the community can be a lot of work, and OCFD understands that. This program is designed to allow flexibility with academics while still encouraging commitment to the program.
Required commitments are meetings in the evenings of every second and fourth Monday of the month, and the OCFD encourages participation in as many of the activities as possible to gain full benefit out of the opportunities given.
“It’s a great opportunity that most college students do not have the chance to participate in,” Cougill said. “I also loved getting to interact with people in the community that I met through the fire department.”
Next time the fire alarms go off in Steg at a bothersome time and you hustle outside as the men and women of the OCFD head into the dorm, take a look around. You might just see a fellow Raider, geared up and ready to ensure the safety of those on campus.
For further information, visit the OCFD website, www.orangecityfire.com, or interested students are welcome to visit the fire station on Saturday mornings from 9:30 to 11 a.m.
