The Washington Association of Future Firefighters will host its annual “Fire Muster”, May 16-17, 2015. New this year, the Muster is scheduled as a two-day event, with posts attending from as far away as Columbia and Whitman counties.

Fire Explorers and Cadets from around the state will gather to compete in firefighting and emergency medical skills events on Saturday, and then rotate through various skills stations on Sunday to get hands-on experience in multiple disciplines. This year’s venue will be the Renton Fire and Emergency Services Department’s Training Center, located at Fire Station 14 – 1900 Lind Ave SW Renton, WA 98057.

Participants are between the ages of 14 and 20, who are exploring what a career in the field of fire and emergency services is like. Many fire departments throughout the state sponsor Fire Explorer or Cadet programs to give youths in their communities this opportunity.

Events for the muster will include competitions in turnout (firefighting) clothing and breathing apparatus donning, search and rescue, fire hose “make-and-break”, fire hydrant connection, CPR/AED use, and firefighter “combat challenge”.

All events are scored as a team and some events are also scored individually. Awards are presented to the top performers. If they want to win, competitors will not only have to work well as a team, they’ll also need to bring their personal ‘A’ game.