Lake City High School senior Matt Willhite straps on his fire helmet Wednesday while on shift at Fire Station 3 in Coeur d'Alene. Matt, 17, is one of five students going through the Coeur d'Alene Fire Department's cadet program this semester.
November 19, 2022
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November 19, 2022 1:08 a.m.
Heroes in the making
Cd'A Fire Cadet program prepares students for first responder life
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 Matt, 17. "I wasn't really scared or anything like that. It definitely gets your adrenaline going."