Summer internship shows high school students the path to careers as police officers and firefighters

Ten high school students got a taste of what life is like for first responders during a summer internship last month hosted by the Hanover Park Fire Department, Bartlett Police Department and Hanover Township Emergency Medical Services.
Courtesy of Alignment Collaborative for Education

A new summer internship program kicked off last month, giving interested high school students the opportunity to experience what it’s like to be a police officer or firefighter and consider career paths in the field.

The Bartlett Police Department, Hanover Park Fire Department, and Hanover Township Emergency Medical Services hosted 10 students from school districts U-46, 300, and 301 for a first responder internship through the Alignment Collaborative for Education.

“This is the first internship that we know of for high school students that involves not only law enforcement but also fire science,” said Bartlett Police Chief Geoffrey Pretkelis. “So the interns that participate will have the opportunity to see all the different aspects, not just the Bartlett Police Department from a law enforcement perspective.”

Firearm shooting was one of the skills demonstrated by Bartlett Police Department officers during the Alignment Collaborative for Education’s First Responder Internship for high school students last month.
Courtesy of Alignment Collaborative for Education

Karissa Hernandez, a student at Dundee Crown High School, said these shared experiences broadened her horizons about potential careers.

“I want to be a part of law enforcement, and this opened me up to maybe even the fire service industry,” she said. “They showed me that this is like a community. They really are brothers and sisters here.”

Hanover Park firefighter and paramedic Richard Cruise shared his range of experiences during his internship.

Hanover Park firefighters last month trained high school students as part of a first responder internship organized by the Alignment Collaborative for Education, where they learned how to force entry into a vehicle where occupants could become trapped.
Courtesy of Alignment Collaborative for Education

“They’re going to be tested as firefighters, so the first thing is going to be a forced entry, and then there’ll be some improvements with the hoses,” he said. “It should be fun. We’re all here to have fun and go through the basics of being a firefighter at the entry level.”

Hanover Park Fire Chief Eric Fors told attendees that any uncertainty they felt about their career path could be alleviated if they earned their emergency medical technician certification at a young age, thereby qualifying to become a firefighter.

“If that’s your reality, if you like what you see this week, don’t lose sight of that,” he said. “Keep that as a goal and just learn from it and remember that we’re always here for you, too.”

Ten students from school districts U-46, 300 and 301 participated in a first responder internship last month, hosted by the Bartlett Police Department, Hanover Park Fire Department and Hanover Township Emergency Services.
Courtesy of Alignment Collaborative for Education

The purpose of the Alignment Collaborative for Education is to combine community resources to build responsible members of society and increase the well-being of the communities served by school districts U-46, 300, and 301.