Oxnard--Young men and women looking for positive activities with potentially rewarding career opportunities can find them at the Oxnard Fire Department’s Explorer Program.
THE Explorer Program is open to residents of Ventura County, with a preference given to those residing in Oxnard. Candidates must be attending High School, maintaining a 2.0 GPA, or be a High School graduate.
Firefighter Kevin Todd leads the Explorers and said the program is back after shutting down during Covid. It is open to youths ages 15-21 and has evolved over the years.
“We rolled it out differently to where it’s open recruitment,” he said. “Anyone can download an application, fill it out, turn it in at any Fire Station, or scan it and send it to my work email kevin.todd@oxnard.org. As long as you meet the requirements, you’re in the program.”
He said the Explorers get to attend drill days, usually once a month from 9 a.m. until 5 p.m. on Saturdays.
“You do some physical training, get your hands on the firefighting tools, and attend lectures on basic Firefighter stuff,” he said. “It’s everything from cutting up cars to throwing ladders.”
Todd says they put on an Academy, which will span three…
