Trussville Fire and Rescue Explorer Post 444 traveled to the Illinois Fire Service Institute on the campus of the University of Illinois to attend the 2007 National Fire and Emergency Services Exploring Conference. The explorers competed against other posts from all over the United States in competitions showing off many different fire service related skills that they have learned.  The events included; spinal immobilization and move, CPR, bunker gear relay, make and break, EMT biking, room search, and arson investigation. They brought home a 3^rd place trophy in EMT biking and a 1^st place trophy in the make and break.  The explorers from Trussville who attended were:

Team A: Wesley Cox, Jacob Turner, Hunter Horton, and Jonathan Powell

Team B: Krys Stathers, Clint Cato, Jaimie Dunion, and Andrew Gray

Fire service exploring is Learning for Life’s career education program for young men and women who are 14 (and have completed the eighth grade) or 15-20 years old.  Exploring’s purpose is to provide experiences to help young people mature and to prepare them to become responsible and caring adults.  Trussville Fire and Rescue started explorer post 444 in 2001.  Since then we have constantly maintained membership numbers around 10 explorers and have watched several go through the exploring program, volunteer program, and on the career firefighters.  Our post hosts an annual exploring competition in the spring and we have attended the National Fire and Emergency Services Exploring Conference in 2003, 2005, and 2007.  Explorer post 444 meets every week at fire station # 3 located at 8160 Gadsden Highway in Trussville.  They learn many different fire service and emergency medical service related skills through both lecture and hands on training.  Once an explorer reaches their 16^th birthday and have met the post requirements they are allowed to respond and assist the fire department on actual emergencies.  Any one interested in joining explorer post 444 can email Captain Nate Hopper at nhopper@trussvillefire.com.