A North Whidbey program for future firefighters is now accepting applicants for the upcoming school year.

Today through July 31, Oak Harbor High School students ages 16-18 can apply for North Whidbey Fire and Rescue’s fire cadet program, a year-long training course meant to prepare participants for careers or volunteer work in fire and emergency services.

The program begins in September and runs for the whole school year. North Whidbey Fire Chief John Clark said the fire department hopes to bring on around a dozen students as fire cadets this year.

The purpose of the program is to get youth interested in firefighting and prepare them to join the fire academy or build up a pool of volunteers for the department.

There has been a “big decrease of people going into public safety, so we’re trying to counteract that a little bit,” Clark said.

Participants in the program will receive extensive, hands-on training in firefighting. Clark said the program is more than just another class to sit through; fire cadets perform essential tasks and respond to calls with North Whidbey firefighters.

While there are a few tasks students are not allowed to do, such as entering a burning building, program participants attend fires to perform support duties, such as laying hose, making fire hydrant connections and filling firefighters’ air packs.

“There’s a lot of things they can do to get prepared to be a firefighter,” Clark said.

Participants in the program are paid. Compensation comes out to around $10 an hour, Clark said.

Interested students can learn more at www.nwfr.org/join or contact the department office at 360-675-1131 or office@nwfr.org.