By Omie Drawhorn, Port of Seattle

Port of Seattle Police Chief Rod Covey may be focused on hiring 20 new police officers at the beginning of 2018, but he also is thinking about recruitment efforts five years from now.

The Port of Seattle Police Department joined the Port of Seattle’s Fire Department and Emergency Management Department at a recent Port-sponsored Public Safety Career Awareness event. Eighty local high school students from Highline Public Schools gathered at the Port’s Fire Department to learn about public safety careers. They listened to department leaders and rotated through stations that allowed them to get a hands-on look at public safety careers.

“Police departments and (to a degree) fire departments are having difficulty throughout the nation recruiting police officers and fire fighters. These kids, most of them are just turning 16,” Covey said. “I will retire in five years and I’d love to be able to say that I hired three people out of this group today.”

Jose Rosiles, an Evergreen High School senior, said he wanted to come to the event to learn more about being a firefighter.

“I wanted to see the different methods they have, training methods they use in case of fires,” he said. 

Rosiles said a career in firefighting seems exciting.

Nicole Charlie Mosneger, Tyee High School student in the Highline Public School District also said she was drawn to a career as a firefighter.

“I like to help people, so I thought it would be a good choice,” she said.

Covey said he has a goal of increasing the number of minority and female candidates in the public safety field at the Port.

 “Most of them don’t believe they can because they don’t see enough women in the profession, they don’t see people from their community in the profession. They think they can’t do it because nobody else before them has done it.

“That’s on us as a policing profession to not get to these people to tell them ‘yes you can,’” Covey added.

He’s hoping to help students connect with police officers and help them see police officers in a different light.

As students circulated through different stations, they tried on hazmat suits, sat inside a fire truck, learned about bomb disposal robots, interacted with one of the Police Department K9s, and explored the inside of the mobile 911 center. 

Lukas Crippen, Port of Seattle firefighter and graduate of Highline Public Schools said it’s great for students to have this hands-on experience outside of the classroom.

“It can give them motivation to move forward with their careers,” he said. “If I can do it, they can all definitely do it too.”

Robin Mueller, Career Access Specialist with Highline Public School said these events really help put high school into context.

“That’s what I see these (events) really helping with, connecting what’s down the road to what are you learning in high school right now. That relevancy piece is huge.”

Tyler Yeazel, a senior at Tyee High School in the Highline Public School District, said he loved checking out the SWAT vehicle and the fire engine.

“I love the thrill of it all because you get to do something new every day.”

Brandon Sweet, a Tyee High School freshman said he was impressed with the thermal imaging camera, which allows firefighters to see areas of heat through smoke, darkness, or heat-permeable barriers.

Fire Chief Randy Krause said he wants to let students know there are a lot of facets to public safety, and that career opportunities are available.  “If you ask, we are going to open the door to help you. Even today, if you are curious in any shape way or form we will bend over backwards.”

Krause, Covey, and Emergency Response Manager Randy Hansen told students it is not so much the work background that is important when looking at potential candidates, but rather the passion and desire to do the work.

“That fire in your belly, something burning in side of you. That kept me on track every single day,” Hansen said.