The Rapid City Fire Department is looking for recruits to join its Veterans Wildland Fuel Module. The module is a nationally-recognized program that creates career opportunities for veterans while mitigating wildfire risk in the Rapid City community.
Eric O’Connor is captain of the Rapid City Fire Department’s Wildfire Mitigation Crew. He says the Veterans Wildland Fuel Module was formed in 2013 as a cooperative agreement between the City of Rapid City and the Bureau of Land Management.
"Our crew was actually formed to not only protect the community from the effects of a potential wildfire event but also to prioritize bringing military veterans back into the civilian workforce and giving those crew members a sense of pride and purpose," said O'Connor.
Jeremy Atwell is lieutenant of the Wildfire Mitigation Crew. He says the program is a great option for veterans who want to build useful career skills while reintegrating into civilian life.
"Being a veteran myself, I can say for me it was a tough transition," said Atwell. "I spent the first six years of my adult life in the military. And then I got out and kind of felt like, 'What do I do now? Now what?'"
"So, once I found a veteran crew, to me it was very helpful," he continued. "Once again, I had that sense of camaraderie, that purpose, a sense of pride. I had a mission again. I was no longer a soldier without a mission. Now I have a mission and a purpose. Something greater than me."
O'Connor says that anyone who is interested in applying for the Veterans Wildland Fuel Module can follow the Rapid City Fire Department’s social media for information and updates.
