Fire Explorers
What you need to know
Career Preparation
You will learn how to prepare yourself to be competitive in a very aggressively sought after career by leaders in the fire service, and explorers who are now working on their fire service careers.
Program Areas of Emphasis
Engage in a program of activities centered on the four emphasis areas to encourage the development of the whole person.
• Career Opportunities
• Leadership Experience
• Life Skills
• Citizenship
Explore the Fire Service
• Municipal Fire Departments
• Military Opportunities
• Wildland Fire Agencies
• Private Fire Protection Industry
• Fire Prevention
• Fire Investigation
• Dispatch
• Fire Equipment & Repair
Meetings and Activities
The Post meets on the first and third Thursday evening of each month from 6:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. at the Ontario Fire Training Center, 1408 E. Francis Street. Activities, which mostly occur on weekends, ranging from assisting with public education events and public service assistance, to fire service tours and training programs. We also participate in fun competition events with other explorer posts.
Membership Requirements
To be eligible for the Exploring Program you must be between 15-19 years of age, completed the 8th grade, maintain a minimum 2.0-grade point average, and be a person of good character. In order to join the Exploring Program, all candidates must pass the peer interview, physical fitness test, and attend the orientation meeting.
Recruitment Process
The process for joining Explorer Post 357 will be as follows:
· Required attendance at a post recruitment event. These events will be announced through Ontario Fire Department social media. The recruitment event is where candidates will fill out an application to join. The recruitment event will discuss several topics including:
– Information regarding Post 357
– Requirements to join post
– Time commitment involved with being an explorer
– Associated uniform costs
· Following the recruitment event, candidates will be invited to the recruitment process. This is a one day event that will include:
– An oral board interview with Advisors
– Physical agility.
– Agility course
– Push ups
– Sit ups
– 1 mile run
· Candidates will be graded on the interview and agility scores and placed into bands based on scores.
· The advisors select the candidates based off of results in the recruitment process.
· Post 357 recruitments are done on an as needed basis, and candidates are selected only to fill vacant positions within the post.
· If candidates have any questions about the recruitment event, process, or requirements to join the post please email OFDexplorers@ontarioca.gov
About the Fire Explorers
Exploring is a unique career exploration program for young men and women. The work-based portion of Learning for Life builds on character lessons and brings the world of work alive by offering youth participants an opportunity to learn firsthand about career fields through the Exploring Program. This helps them determine if this is their correct career path. Exploring’s purpose is to provide experiences to help young people mature at this stage in their lives and to prepare them to become responsible and caring adults.
Since January 1, 1995, the City of Ontario Fire Department has sponsored Fire Explorer Post #357. The program is a fire service career introduction program that is “youth lead/youth ran” and coordinated by volunteer fire service adult advisors.
Post #357 is a non-funded City-sponsored program that benefits from the use of Ontario Fire Department facilities, equipment, personal protective clothing, donations from fundraising and community service organizations. The Post is a registered program with the Boy Scouts of America, Learning for Life, and a member organization of the Inland Empire Fire Explorer Association.
For more information regarding Fire Explorer Post #357, please contact Post Advisor Cory Nelson or Jake Medina
Fire Administration
415 East B Street
Ontario, CA 91764
upcoming events
Fire Department Open House – Details Coming Soon