Detroit holds firefighter and EMT job shadowing program for Cody highschoolers

DETROIT (WJBK) - Detroit holds firefighter and EMT job shadowing program for Cody highschoolers

High school students in Detroit are getting the chance to live their dreams.

"I'm excited about being a firefighter," said Cortez Wilform, a Cody High School senior.

Through a new program, 10 students at Cody High School are suiting up and training hard to become the city's next firefighters and EMTs.

"They will graduate from high school and have their firefighter certification," said Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan. "That gives them a huge leg up."

The pilot program, announced last fall, is off to a small start, but dedicated instructors like Detroit Fire Department Lt. Jamal Mickles are working hard to make it flourish.

"It's a full circle thing for me because now I get to do the very thing that was done for me," he said.

An important part of the training is seeing first-hand what a day in the life of an emergency worker is like. The students in the program are spending the night working in a firehouse so they can really get a feel for what it's like to be a firefighter in Detroit.

When a call comes in, they get ready too.

"If we get an emergency call, they'll get to put on their gear just like the firefighters. They'll get on the rig, they'll ride on the rig and they'll go and observe the fire scene," Mickles said.

Some of the most valuable experience comes through meeting the firefighters.

"We do a whole lot of stuff that makes us want to stay here

For Wilform, the elective class and mentorship has changed his life.

"It's so exciting," he said. "It makes me want to do it more and more. I can't wait to become (a firefighter)."