Hanover Park Fire Department's 2009 Summer Internship Provides a One-of-a-Kind Experience

Release date: Wednesday, August 26, 2009

Andrew Holcomb, a sophomore attending Eastern Kentucky University, completed this year’s internship at the Hanover Park Fire Department. He is currently enrolled in the fire administration program with a focus in fire safety engineering. Andrew has spent the last three months assigned to Red shift and working the 24-hour shift schedule that full-time firefighters maintain.

The department’s internship program provides a unique educational opportunity which allows students a “real life” experience of the fire service. Program activities include participation in basic shift duties in and around the fire station including training, station and apparatus maintenance, public education and fire prevention activities, as well as responding to emergencies. During an emergency response and under direct supervision of a company officer, interns are only allowed to operate in a safe environment and solely to the level of their training.

While Andrew was with the department, he completed a project assigned by the Fire Prevention Bureau. Andrew analyzed every commercial address in Hanover Park in order to isolate variations in address numbering. These variations allow the Fire Department to formulate plans which will aide its members during the dispatch and arrival phase of an emergency incident. In addition, the fire prevention division will utilize the data to further organize the fire inspection database.

By all accounts, the 2009 internship was a resounding success. As a personal achievement, while working at a general alarm for a structure fire, Andrew assisted a fire company by resuscitating a cat that had been removed from the burning building, an experience that he will definitely not forget.