Senior Sean Fitzgerald takes steps towards becoming firefighter

Elena Coe McNamara
Staff Writer

While right now, Mira Costa senior Sean Fitzgerald only puts bandaids in boxes, he dreams of the day he will be able to actually put out fires as a Hermosa Beach firefighter paramedic.

Ever since he was six years old, Fitzgerald knew he wanted to be a firefighter when he witnessed how close all of the firefighters were at a Hermosa Beach Pancake Breakfast. Since then, he’s been finding different ways to pursue his dream, including the Explorer’s Program, SCROC, and volunteering at the Hermosa Fire Department.

“It’s a wonderful feeling to see your son grow from a little boy to an ambitious driven young man,” Sean’s mother, Dianne Fitzgerald, said. “Sean has always spoken of firefighters with awe and respect.”

Fitzgerald’s first step towards being a firefighter was doing training with a program called the Explorers EMT Program, 2 years ago, when he was 16. Explorers is a program within the LA County fire department that provides participants with new experiences that stimulate being on the job, and aims to teach them a sense of responsibility. Through Explorers, students learn ground fire skills, practice team building exercises, and have the opportunity to experience a ride along on real fire calls.

“All of the things I’ve done in the past are hands on learning experiences that will benefit me by giving me different types of experience and help me to be able to be the best at firefighting,” Fitzgerald said.

Beginning with the school year, Fitzgerald takes a SROC class every Monday and Wednesday. He currently takes the Emergency Medical First Response course, and next semester will take an Emergency Medical Technician course. In these courses, they practice emergency techniques such as controlling bleeding, administering supplemental oxygen, and performing CPR and automated external defibrillation. These will aid him to eventually receive his EMT certificate, and begin real fire training.

“I’m really excited to have my EMT certificate when I graduate,” Fitzgerald said. “That gives me a huge headstart because I’ll already have the certification when I graduate, and other people will have to go out and get it.”  

Starting one month ago, Fitzgerald has began working with emergency manager Erin Concas at the Hermosa Fire Department once a week to create first aid kits. Fitzgerald uses the department’s surplus medical supplies in order to put together standard first aid kits.  Fitzgerald takes inventory and stocks medical supplies once a week, and creates universal first aid kits for Hermosa’s fire department.

“For Sean to come out here and say ‘I want to help my city stay safer however I can,’ it really shows how kind he is and how much potential he has to go further within the fire department,” Concas said.

Fitzgerald began volunteering at the Hermosa Fire Department in order to build connections within the department and gain experience. According to Concas, Fitzgerald works hard, doing whatever he can to rise his ranking and importance with the chiefs.

“As of right now, not many of the guys even know he’s here,” Concas said. “But his work will help him gain recognition with the guys as someone who wants to help his community.”

Fitzgerald plans on going through the necessary training to become an official firefighter paramedic. Fitzgerald would like this to be his main profession when he is an adult, and hopes to stay in Hermosa Beach and serve his community.

“Knowing that I’ll be able to go to work every day and enjoy myself while doing something that makes a difference is something that will be really fulfilling,” Fitzgerald said.

According to Hermosa Beach firefighter paramedic Greg Dale, it is helpful to have both younger volunteers and firefighters on the team, because they have different strengths. Fitzgerald hopes to be an official firefighter at a young age so that he can spend the most time possible doing what he loves.

“Older guys have experience and technique that they can pass on,” Dale said. “It’s good to have younger people to keep older guys sharper and practicing their old skills.”