Turning out victory
By John Joyce
Published in News on February 28, 2016 1:45 AM
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News-Argus/CASEY MOZINGO
Members of the Goldsboro Fire Department Explorer Program hold their first place Arriving on Scene and second place Rapid Rescue Resuscitate plaques. Pictured left are, front row: Tre Tillman, Christian Gibson, Daja Hutcherson and Stephen Porter; back row: Xavier Newsome, Ryan Swisher, Ryan Kearney, Matt Clairemont, Shawn Royall, Jared Barwick and Tyreik Hutcherson.
Goldsboro Fire Explorers Post 1881, Camp Tuscarora brought back some hardware to show off after a recent trip to a regional competition in Gatlinburg, Tenn.
The post brought home plaques in two events, including first place in Arriving on Scene and second place in Rapid Rescue Resuscitate, a downed firefighter scenario.
"These kids worked really hard. We just think they ought to get some recognition," Goldsboro Assistant Fire Chief in charge of training, Lisa Johnson, said.
She, Capt. Julian Whitney and a cadre of advisors train and mentor the youths who volunteer to learn the ins and outs of the fire service.
A group of 14- to 17-year-olds who train under veteran firefighters worked in teams of three and four, competing against 20 other Explorer posts in a series of competitions to test their speed, skills and knowledge.
Jarred Barwick, 17, of Eastern Wayne High School is one of Post 1881's newest Explorers. He said he has been training for the competition ever since joining the post in December of last year.
"I did firefighter down, I did the packing and then CPR," he said.
Barwick said it was a little more difficult to perform his task in competition than it had been in training, but once he got going he did just fine, he said.
"They were saying there were a lot of people there and everybody is watching you. I had never done it before, so I did not want to mess up," he said. "Once he said 'Go,' I just kind of tuned everything out, and it was like doing it back home."
The post's youngest Explorer, Daeja Hutcherson, 14, of Spring Creek Middle School, took part in the Cherokee drill of the firefighter down competition. Daeja has been with the post since the age of 12, attending the meetings and training sessions with her brother Tyreick Hutcherson, 17. She said she joined because the Explorer post feels like a family.
"I saw the first group before us," she said, referring to former post-members who have since aged out of the program.
"They kind of looked like a family, and they looked like they were having so much fun. I kind of liked the things they were doing, and I wanted to try it."
The younger-Hutcherson has aspirations leaning more toward the medical side of the fire service. She said, although she is still young and has a lot more to experience in life, she might consider a career as an emergency medical technician, (EMT.)
"She is doing a pretty good job," Tyreick said.
Richard Gibson, 15, of Charles B. Aycock High School, said he fell flat on his face during one portion of the competition. He and the rest of the post are able to laugh about it now, in true-firefighter fashion.
"I went to go grab the tire and kind of tripped and fell," he said.
Capt. Whitney offered a more detailed description of the incident as the rest of the troop fell in on themselves laughing.
"He was doing the Cherokee drill, and he had to pull the tire by grabbing the house, and when he grabbed the house his feet were moving faster than his body, and he hit the ground," Whitney said.
The young men and women of Troop 1881 are quick to joke around with one another. But it is that underlying sense of family and brotherhood that keeps of them coming back each week, they said.
Any Wayne County youth, ages 14 to 20, are welcome to join. Requirements are the same as those that govern the Boy and Girl Scouts of America. Students must maintain a C grade point average to participate. Parents are welcome to attend. For more information, contact the Goldsboro Fire Department either on line at www.fire,goldsboronc.com, or call GFD Station 1 at 919-580-4265.
"This year we have had the most parent support that we have ever had, and everyone really got along with one another," Chief Johnson said. "It has been a pleasure."