Surviving six weekends of training in a desolated area, Diamond Bar High School senior Cristian Meza received his Explorer Academy Certification in March, allowing him to go on calls with firefighters and perform tasks on site.

“Just finishing the academy, that kind of just hit the hammer on the nail, like, wow, this is what I want to do,” Meza said.

Meza was first introduced to the idea of firefighting through his dad, a reserve firefighter for the city of San Gabriel. After hearing many stories from his dad, Meza became interested in becoming a firefighter himself.

He discovered the Explorer program when talking to a firefighter crew at the annual Diamond Bar City birthday party three years ago.

“I joined the program thinking that I would just try it out, but as I got into it, I started liking it more and more,” Meza said.

The program requires students to attend meetings every Sunday morning, doing physical training and learning from certified explorers.

The six-week Explorer Academy requires a recommendation from a certified explorer and a physical agility test.

Meza underwent physical training and written finals to pass the academy in the Del Valle Training Facility in Castaic.

“The six weeks is more concentrated. The year round is more relaxed, because it’s not like cramming into your head; it’s more like family bonding time with the guys around you,” Meza said.  

The certification allows Meza to join the firefighters on calls, helping them through scenarios such as cutting a patient’s clothes to confirm whether they had broken bones or applying patches to patients reading their hear

tbeat, blood pressure and oxygen levels.

He also has the opportunity to mentor the younger explorers on Sundays, leading them through physical training and explaining various equipments that are utilized by firefighters.

While Meza plans to eventually become an actual firefighter, he also intends to take a four-year degree in college as a backup. He said that he hopes to become a firefighter captain in the future and take paramedic school.

“It’s not for everyone, but it’s rewarding knowing that you’re there for people when they need it the most,” Meza said. “Every day is different: you’re not sitting in a office job, you’re actually out there doing work.”