High school students in the East Penn and Salisbury Township school districts are being offered an opportunity to gain firsthand experience in fire and EMS services and explore the career opportunities available in the fire and emergency medical service fields in the new Boy Scouts of America Explorer Post 763 being formed by Emmaus emergency service providers.

That’s the outline of the purpose of BSA Explorer Post 763 being formed under the auspices of John Price, director of Emergency Service for Emmaus and Emmaus Ambulance Corps Lt. Craig Deppe, who will serve as post adviser for the new organization.

The post’s identifying number, 763, is a combination of the Emmaus Fire Department Station 7 for Lehigh County 911 emergency dispatch purposes and the ambulance corps’ Station 63 EMS designation. While East Penn and Salisbury school district students ages 15 to 19 are the primary focus of the group, Allentown, Southern Lehigh and Parkland students would also be eligible to join.

A $50 new youth member initiation will be required and includes the first year BSA registration fee. Price said he does not anticipate the need for ongoing fund raising activities by the members. Uniforms and personal protective equipment needed to board borough fire and ambulance vehicles will be supplied by the borough.

Basic training in fire and EMS activities will be provided and qualifications set for active participation in fire and EMS calls. Explorer Post members will never be involved in interior firefighting activities, but will have fire ground access and perform basic equipment and support activities.

Basic first aid activity instruction will be provided and members will have opportunities for supervised emergency medical participation within the limits of personal safety guidelines.

The group will meet primarily on Tuesdays, the day when current fire department training activities are held.

An eight page handout described the organizational structure of post activities, defined leadership role responsibilities, deployment of members in prolonged emergency activities, qualification for apparatus boarding and ride-along privileges on apparatus and opportunities for adult participation in the post’s activities. Prospective members were encouraged to attend the open house with a parent or guardian, so family members could be assured the highest safety standards would be in place for participants.

For those who would like additional information, or an invitation to an upcoming meeting, call Deppe at 610-965-0721, ext. 102, or email CDeppe@borough.emmaus.pa.us.