RENO, Nev (FOX5) — Students at one Reno high school are getting a taste of real-world firefighting as they prepare for future careers.
They’re part of the Fire Science Academy at the Academy of Arts, Careers and Technology in Reno. The program trains high school students with classroom lessons and hands-on drills, and some will spend their summers at fire camps, supporting wildfire crews across the West.
Program expansion
The academy is now expanding to a four-year curriculum. Extension staff who help run the program say up to 20 new freshmen will be admitted each year. With Washoe County now funding a full-time instructor, about 60 students will be enrolled across all four grades this fall.
University of Nevada, Reno Extension’s Living With Fire team developed the program three years ago, in collaboration with the school, Truckee Meadows Fire & Rescue, the U.S. Bureau of Land Management and other partners, to help address the increasing need for wildland firefighters.
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“It’s also really great that the Washoe County School District has invested in the program by funding a full-time instructor in the 2025-2026 academic year,” said Spencer Eusden, part of the Living With Fire team. “A full-time school district instructor is a really important step to sustaining the program for years to come.”
Student experiences
Kai Hueber, who just finished his sophomore year, has been accepted by the U.S. Bureau of Land Management to be part of fire camp crews this summer. He’ll help with maintaining equipment and supplies, rolling fire hoses, meal prep and assisting firefighters sent out to battle blazes.
“I’ve always looked up to firefighters,” Hueber said. “I really like helping people, and I like the idea of it.”
Hueber said he’s enjoyed the hands-on nature of the program.
“I really like how we actually do stuff,” he said. “We get in our gear and go do drills. It really gives me an idea of what it’s like to be a firefighter.”
Matthew Hart is graduating from the program this year. He passed all the knowledge-based tests to be a seasonal wildland firefighter, and now plans to spend the next year preparing to pass the Pack Test, a fitness test that requires carrying a 45-pound pack for 3 miles in 45 minutes or less.
“After a couple of classes, I realized how much I would like it, what we would be doing, where it could bring us in life,” Hart said. “I’m really glad I joined it and really excited for my future.”
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