UF business students will extinguish fires as they become firefighters for a day on Saturday.
The day is part of a leadership program the Warrington College of Business and the Warrington Diplomats host each semester, said Kara Conley, the president of the Warrington Diplomats. This is the first time students will be firefighters for the program.
Students will learn to fight fires at Florida State Fire College in Ocala, Florida, the UF accounting senior said. This will teach them how to handle stress.
“It’s important for students to learn all of those soft skills that you just can’t get out of a classroom,” the 22-year-old said.
The ventures are hosted by Warrington Diplomats, she said. About 30 students can go for $20 each. The trip is from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. and includes transportation and lunch. Students in the past have cooked like an “Iron Chef,” sailed in St. Augustine and baked like a “Cake Boss.” Forrest Hoffman, a UF finance junior and Warrington Diplomat, said going on these trips teaches students teamwork.
“They show you how to work with people that you’ve never really met,” the 21-year-old said.
Conley said the Warrington Diplomats wanted to do something new this semester. She got to go to Florida State Fire College about two months ago to experience what students will do this weekend: using a fire hose, going down a fire pole and extinguishing flames.
“I was way too excited, but it gave me the opportunity to better communicate what’s going to happen,” she said. “It was interesting to be at the facilities and just see the culture.”
