Northeast Voke Students Train To Save Lives

A release from the Stoneham Fire Explorers:

The Northeast Metropolitan Regional Vocational High School District, more commonly known as Northeast Metro Tech, or just “The Voke” has been teaching students both academics and vocational skills since 1968, serving approximately 1250 students per year from 12 local cities and towns. The suburban campus, surrounded by woods, sits just 14 miles north west of Boston. The Voke offers a wide range of 14 diverse vocational programs, from Plumbing and Auto Tech, to Culinary Arts and Business Technology.

Some would say that today’s vocational students already face a difficult challenge, balancing academics, shops and for many, athletics and other after school programs. Students at the Voke, alternate weeks between shop and academics, therefore having half the academic class time that traditional high school students are afforded. But nonetheless, these students are held to the same academic curriculum and standards as well as expectations of high MCAS scores. The Voke offers advanced placement courses and nearly 50% of students will go on to attend college.

Despite the pressures they already face, five current Voke students, have decided to take on another challenge. Voke students Matthew Sartori of Wakefield, Bradley Largent of Stoneham, Robert Herrick of Wakefield, John Acres of Malden and Donald Lancelotte of Reading are all members of the Stoneham Fire Explorer Program. The Fire Explorer Program is a national career exploration program, which offers students ages 14-21 the opportunity to become involved with local fire department’s and receive real life firefighter training. The Stoneham Fire Explorer Program was founded in 1993 and has been the first step for many teens who are now full-time career firefighters, police officers, EMT’s, paramedics and other related public safety employees. The program currently has 25 active members.

The training these Voke students are receiving off campus as Fire Explorers is very much the same as actual firefighters. They practice firefighting skills and conduct and participate in regular drills covering a myriad of possible scenarios. In addition to their firefighter training, the students have become certified in CPR for adults, children and infants, including the use of automated external defibrillators (AED’s). They are also certified First Responders, certified to provide emergency medical care at a level just below that of an EMT. Their medical training runs the gamut from basic first aid skills, to emergency childbirth to the administration of Narcan to help reverse opioid overdoses. They have participated in the national training initiative “Stop the Bleed” that teaches the critical skills needed to stop massive traumatic bleeding. These are the very same skills that saved so many victims of the Boston Marathon Bombing, and are used commonly in the aftermath of an active shooter situation.

The skills these students posses have been put to use in the real world. Matt Sartori, who is a Lieutenant in the Explorer Program, and member of the Junior class, was with his plumbing class off campus in a school van, when he witnessed a citizen fall to the ground and become injured. “Matt ran to the man’s aid as his classmates watched. He checked on the man and summoned EMT’s to the scene to further treat his injuries”, recalled Chief Richard Hastings, the programs Executive Officer. “Matt’s willingness to react and respond to such situations becomes second nature. He’s been trained well and is very confident of his abilities. If something were ever to happen to me, I’d want Matt to be the one treating me.”

“Their is no doubt in my mind that if any one of these students, alone or as a group, faced some type of incident at school or elsewhere, that they would be ready, willing and able react quickly and play a part in saving lives,” states Lt. Brian Cronin, the programs advisor. Cronin continued, “I’m not sure the school or the community at-large realizes what an asset these five students can be. They are poised to act if, god forbid, they are ever called upon.”

Student Robert Herrick, also a Lieutenant in the program, is a member of the freshmen class. “I’m pretty sure some of my teachers are aware that I want to be a firefighter, but I’m not sure they realize how seriously we all take the what we do and the skills we have,” said Herrick. “When we had a recent lockdown and active-shooter scare, despite having to hide behind a desk, I was thinking about the things I could do to help if this was real, and where were my guys if I needed them?”

Members of the Fire Explorer Program are a tight knit group of friends. They have learned to trust one another, how to function as a team, how to get a job done, and how to effectively assist the sick and injured and save lives to the best of their abilities. These are lessons that just can’t be learned in a classroom.

Photo by David DeLucia

From left to right: Explorer Donald Lancelotte, Lt. Matthew Sartori, Lt. Robert Herrick and Explorer Brad Largent. Missing from the photo, Explorer John Acres.