By Laura Lane
What makes the Calhoun 11th-grader's life a bit different is a decision she made nearly a year ago to join the junior firefighters program at the Merrick Fire Department.
The purpose of the program, which was created 40 to 50 years ago, is to teach teenagers how to become firefighters. There are junior firefighter programs at many fire departments in the U.S. Merrick's is open to any Merrick teenager ages 13 to 17. The hope is that the training will entice juniors to later join as adult volunteers.
"The junior firefighters program is the backbone of the future of the volunteer fire services," said Ron Luparello, the Merrick fire chief. "Without the kids joining at a young age, it would be difficult to keep membership up."
Luparello added that there aren't many 18-year-olds joining the fire departments anymore. They go to college. "When they do join at 21, it's difficult to learn what they need to know to be a firefighter while starting their first job and sometimes getting married," said Luparello. "If they've already had that basic training at a younger age, it will be easier for them when they do join."
Nicholsen is the only female junior in the Merrick Fire Department - not that that's a problem. "They treat you equally," said Nicholsen. "The boys are stronger, so they might be considered first, but I just make sure that I'm aggressive so I'm chosen too."
Nicholsen didn't join the program because she wanted to be a hero. She's always liked helping people. The department's Sept. 11 response made a big impression on Nicholsen. That's when she began to think that she'd like to get involved in the fire department. It would be a way to help even more people than she was able to reach alone. But Nicholsen was too young.
When she was 15, she heard about the junior firefighters program from neighbors who were volunteer firefighters. She joined the program shortly after.
"I thought being a firefighter looked interesting," said Nicholsen. "And I thought it would be fun, but I honestly didn't know there would be so much to learn."
The juniors receive different types of fire training, including watching and participating in rescue simulations. The smokehouse, at the Four Towns Fire Training Center in Merrick, is used by firefighters to practice rescue techniques.
The advantage of training in the smokehouse is that it's pitch-black inside, with removable walls to change the layout of the rooms. Firefighters can practice search techniques without knowing the layout of the room, as they would in a real fire.
The juniors aren't permitted to go into the smokehouse to practice search-and-rescue techniques. But they do watch the firefighters practice and receive instruction.
Juniors, however, do enter the smokehouse for another reason. Firefighters will fill the house with smoke and have the juniors put on the heavy gear worn while responding to a fire. Then they enter the smokehouse and have to find their way out.
The teenagers also spend a great deal of time learning how to maintain the vehicles. Being a junior includes learning how to repair and change the parts, and how to clean the equipment.
And juniors learn early in their training how to use all of the equipment too. "By the time they've been with us a year, they'll know every piece of equipment on the rig, where it is, and what it does," said John Katz, a Merrick firefighter who is one of the program's advisers. "I joined the juniors when I was 14. By the time I became a Merrick firefighter at 18, I had so much training under my belt."
There are many opportunities to help the public through the junior firefighters program. The Merrick Fire Department is now involved in raising funds for ex-captain Tom Gleason's family. Gleason's daughter, Shannon, was diagnosed with cancer and has undergone many treatments, as well as surgery.
The juniors have helped too. They held a car wash in the summer to collect funds for the Gleason family and helped at a children's party given as a benefit for the Gleasons. They'll also help at the Gleason benefit dinner that the Merrick Fire Department is planning in January.
At the Merrick Fall Festival in September, the juniors can be found helping to teach children how to "stop, drop and roll" in a fire. And at the street fair, the juniors assist the Merrick Fire Department in teaching fire safety at the smoke detector trailer. The trailer, owned by the North Merrick Fire Department, is filled with smoke, and with alarms blaring, children are instructed to stay low, crawl out and descend a ladder at the window, assisted by juniors.
This year Nicholsen has learned how respond to a house fire. Juniors learn how to stretch a hose line from a truck and hook it up to a hydrant. They then practice hose techniques while the water is turned on full blast. "I like shooting the hoses the most," said Nicholsen, smiling. "The gear that we use is really heavy, and the hose is a lot of work, but it's fun."
Nicholsen said she has made many friends among the juniors. And they are from all over Merrick, people she never would have met had she not joined. But she isn't sure that she'll join the Merrick Fire Department when she reaches the eligible age. Nicholsen's leaning toward a career in medicine, but then again, she is only 16.
Nicholsen is the oldest of eight children. Her 13-year-old brother joined the juniors this year, and another brother hopes to join next year. The Nicholsens are active in helping others. They've participated in the Inner City Project, housing a child from New York City for two weeks in the summer, and Project Ireland. With the latter program, the Nicholsens have housed a child from Ireland for the summer for two years.
"I was 100 percent supportive for Jeannie to get involved in the junior firefighters program because I've always encouraged her to get involved in the community," said Sharon Nicholsen, Jeannie's mother. "Jeannie always wanted to take in every stray, and was always so helpful. She's got a good heart."
Last summer mother and daughter took part in Mission Discovery, traveling to Mexico to build houses for the poor. For a week, they lived at a campsite in Texas and crossed the border every day to build the houses. "We nailed it, painted and refinished it," said Jeannie with pride, adding that she's an animal lover too.
The junior firefighter program not only gives Jeannie another way to help others, but also valuable life skills. Although firefighters act as advisers, the teenagers run the program. "I teach them how to keep the books, for example, but they actually do it," said Katz. "They learn so many life skills with this program, like how to deal with different types of people. People who volunteer in the fire department are from all walks of life."
Nicholsen said that she's sticking with the program through high-school graduation. She looks forward to next week when the juniors will vote in new officers. Nicholsen's hoping she'll be considered for secretary or lieutenant.
She also hopes that an idea being discussed, adding a Sunday morning training session, will happen. "I'd like to be more involved," said Jeannie. "And one of my friends might join too."
Comments about this story? Llane@liherald.com or (516) 569-4000 ext. 236.
