Matt Webb is a junior at Southwestern College majoring in communications.  For most of his life he has dreamed of becoming a weatherman.  But lately he has had a change of heart.  Like many young children he also had a dream of being a firefighter.  Recently, while going through some old photos, he found a picture of himself dressed up as firefighter in the second grade.

Webb is now in the process of achieving that dream.

It all began last summer when Webb decided to become a volunteer firefighter for the local department at home in Maysville, Okla.  He enjoyed it so much that when he returned to Winfield for his junior year at Southwestern he applied at the Winfield Fire Department (WFD).

“Firefighting is such a rush, I don’t know, there is just something about it that I liked,” Webb says.  “I wanted to get on here (in Winfield).”

Webb applied to be a volunteer firefighter at the WFD in August and was approved in November.  Webb was thrilled.  There was just one problem; he was not allowed to go out on fire or emergency calls.

According to Webb, the WFD is made up of paid and volunteer firefighters.  Only the firefighters who have earned certification are allowed to go out on fire calls.   

The process to become eligible to be a paid firefighter and to be able to go on fire or emergency calls means earning certification in Firefighter 1 and Emergency Medical Training.  Webb immediately decided to take those courses along with his Southwestern classes.  The Firefighter 1 course is taken through the WFD; the Emergency Medical Training class is a 12-hour class that Webb is taking at Cowley County Community College.  He is now taking 29 credit hours this semester.

“I have definitely sped up the process a little bit,” Webb says.  “I do feel overwhelmed at times.  I have quickly learned how important time management is.”

The WFD is made up of 18 shift workers, working three shifts with six working per shift.  There is also a fire chief, fire marshall, and eight individuals (including Webb) in the reserve or volunteer program.   Earning certification does not automatically mean that Webb will become a paid firefighter in Winfield. 

Darrell Long is a captain in at the WFD.  He has been at the department for almost 25 years.  He says that the reserve program is important to the department and that the last five or six firefighters that have been hired in Winfield have gone through that program.  He says Webb definitely has a chance.

“Matt has a lot on his plate right now but he has a strong desire to become a firefighter,” Long says. 

Webb continues to keep things in perspective.

“When they told me that I can’t go out on fire calls without certification, I immediately got the Firefighter 1 book,” Webb says.  “It’s hard to stay focused on my SC classes but getting my communications degree is still my first priority.”