Firefighter Colby Tyler, Cadet Jonathan Stanley and Firefighter Ashlee Caron pose at the ceremony where Jonathan was promoted to Cadet Lieutenant.
Jonathan Stanley, 16 and a junior at Suffield High School, was sworn in on Monday, March 6 as the Suffield Fire Department’s newest Cadet Lieutenant. Jonathan has been a cadet since he was a freshman in high school, and this promotion will give more responsibility and leadership opportunities to him as he continues his work with the fire department.
The cadet program is administrated by Firefighter Colby Tyler, who was a cadet himself 13 years ago. He and four other firefighters, Michael Kudish, Amanda Thibedeau, Ashlee Caron and Michael Turgeon, are mentors and teachers to the cadets in the program. The Suffield Fire Department Cadet Program is open to young people 14-18 years old, from 8th grade through high school. Cadets are expected to attend monthly meetings, participate in drills both with the adult volunteers, as well as cadet drills, which highlight the actions that firefighters may take at a real fire. They are expected to attend a certain number of fire calls, and can be involved in certain areas of help on those calls based on their age and permission from parents or guardians. For years, this program has helped funnel interested young adults into both volunteer and professional firefighting careers.
Jonathan’s independence and leadership has been demonstrated in these areas, and as such his promotion to Cadet Lieutenant will make him a liaison to the other cadets. Also, he will have more responsibility spearheading ideas for drills, cadet recruitment, as well as planning ways to get the Cadet Program information out to the town. Congratulations, Jonathan!