Matt Lichtenstein

PETERSBURG-AK (2009-11-04) Fire protection in Alaska’s remote communities depends on a relatively small group of local residents, who devote a lot of their free time to staying prepared for the worst. That particular public service is typically limited to people over 18-years old. But last winter, Petersburg’s fire department began signing-up high school students for its new Junior Firefighter Program. The young recruits train alongside adult volunteers and they respond to emergenciess when the siren sounds. It’s an effort to boost the department’s ranks, as older and more experienced members retire or leave town. Matt Lichtenstein recently spent an evening with the Fire Department and its youngest volunteers: