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Finding Future Firefighters in Summer School

BELOIT — Six middle school students from the School District of Beloit watched a car get cut up by Beloit Fire Department personnel Tuesday as part of a two-week summer school class.

The students mostly watched as Lt. Charles Cunningham cut off the roof of a wrecked vehicle to demonstrate how firefighters extricate people who have been in traffic accidents. The students did get to punch out the side windows of the car.

“This is the second year we’ve done this,” Lt. Phil Ferrera said of the program, which is part of the district’s expanded summer school curriculum for middle school students. “They’ve done a search and rescue maze, wearing the gear and breathing apparatus. They’ve cooked and cleaned. We have a physical fitness planned for the last day.”

For Aldrich Intermediate School student Jalen Copper, none of those things have been his favorite.

“We got to go up the ladder truck,” Copper said.

The department extended its ladder truck so that students could go up 100 feet and take a look.

“It was nice because I could see the whole city,” he said.

Tyree Earl, a teacher at Fruzen Middle School who was supervising the kids on Tuesday, said the goal was to give students hands-on experience in different professions. They may have a future firefighter in Copper — for a different reason.

“(Firefighters) have a kitchen. They have rooms to watch TV,” Copper said. “It’s nice in there.”