Heroes in the making

Radio chatter intensifies.

The firehouse alarm sounds.

Matt Willhite is cool as a cucumber, knowing his exact role when he goes on a call with the Coeur d'Alene Fire Department.

"At first I was like, 'Well, this is very cool,'" said Willhite, 17. "I wasn't really scared or anything like that. It definitely gets your adrenaline going."

As a cadet, Willhite won't be rushing into a burning building, but he will help fire crews by carrying medical bags, investigating the exterior and scouring the premises of a fire or medical emergency where crews are deployed.

“Those are the bread-and-butter skills of a firefighter, but they are not dangerous," said Capt. Nate Hyder. "The cadets learn these skills. Every day Willhite does the same first check a firefighter coming on shift does."

Willhite, a Lake City High School senior, is one of five 12th-grade students enrolled in the Coeur d'Alene Fire Cadet program. The other cadets are: Ryder Garrett, LCHS; Jane Schlosser, Coeur d'Alene High; Miles Kamara, CHS; and Logan Fletcher, LCHS.

The cadets are assigned to stations throughout the community. Schlosser, 18, is at the same station as Willhite, but a different shift. She discovered the fire cadet opportunity after she found herself bored with an online job.

"It was a good experience," she said, "but it made me realize I don’t want to do a job where I'm just sitting all the time."

The semester-long fire cadet training is anything but boring. Cadets must complete didactic and manipulative assignments. They learn CPR, safety protocols and other firefighting skills, including observation, critical thinking and problem solving. Those who excel are given opportunities for even more hands-on experience, such as bleeding fire hydrants or using hydraulic rescue tools. Cadets train on fire engines, learn how to use fire hoses and become pros at quickly getting in and out of firefighter gear.

"It’s very important to have these skills,” Willhite said. "In the real world, if you have an emergency or someone goes into cardiac arrest, I’m CPR certified so I know how to deal with that. It’s good to have these skills in life."

Schlosser said she wanted to get her foot in the door with a meaningful career path, and she's found it.

"This was the perfect opportunity for me," she said. "I definitely wanted to test it out before I committed to a job and this job is what I'm looking for. It's what I want to do."

As cadets learn the basics of being a first responder, they also become immersed in the firefighter culture and share in station life. They exercise each day. They learn respectful communication. They eat meals with their mentors, help with firehouse chores and they see firsthand the special bond that sets firefighting apart from other jobs.

"Matt happens to work in a station that has one of the best chefs in the department," Hyder said with a smile.

"There hasn’t been a single meal that’s been bad,” Willhite said, also smiling. “It’s pretty good.”

The cadet program began in the 2015-16 school year but was paused for two years during the COVID-19 pandemic. It has been completed by 28 local high school seniors. Six past cadets have been hired as full-time paid professional firefighters in the area and as far away as Casper, Wyo.

“Some of our cadets are in the military," Hyder said. "One is now with Lewiston Fire, one is in the academy for Spokane Fire, one works for the Idaho Department of Lands as a firefighter and one we hired here when he was 19 or 20. He’ll retire at 50 with like 31 years of service."

Willhite and Schlosser are also using this experience for their senior capstone projects, giving them a head start on the work they have to complete by graduation.

"The cool thing is watching them all go through that process,” Hyder said. “They get a taste, and if they want to do it, they have people they can fall back on and they have contacts. We’ve all been through it."

Applications for spring semester cadets must be submitted by 4 p.m. Friday. Physical agility tests and interviews will take place Dec. 3.

Students must have a 2.5 grade point average on their most recent quarter report card at the time of application, be on track to graduate in the expected timeframe, have good attendance and must be physically fit. Applicants must also demonstrate maturity to be considered for the program.

Submit applications to the Coeur d'Alene Fire Department headquarters at 300 Foster Ave., Coeur d'Alene.

“We set the hook for a job that will allow people their age to stay here,” Hyder said. "They won't have to move because of cost of living, they can make an honest living and stay. That’s the coolest thing we can possibly give these kids, is that ability. It’s a good job."