MONTGOMERY COUNTY, Va. – Rally Williams made his way through a maze blindfolded in full firefighting gear, under the watchful eye of the Christiansburg Fire Department.
"I could not see a thing. It was a lot of fun though. It was kind of eye-opening though because you cannot see a thing," said Rally.
The maze is part of the department's first Teen Fire Academy. Twelve teens, including Rally, are getting the chance, for two days, to suit up and see what it's like to be a member of the fire service. For Rally, firefighting is a family affair. His grandfather and father were firefighters and now it's his turn to learn.
"The day-to-day lives of firefighters and to see what tasks they have to go through, basically everything they have to do to get the job done and keep people safe," said Rally.
From navigating mazes to trying on the gear and cutting through a car, the teens are getting a crash course in firefighting. And that was always the goal of the Fire Department and Christiansburg's Parks and Recreation Department when they started planning the academy last year.
"I hope the teens will have a better understanding of what the fire department does and what we go through on a daily basis. When someone calls 911, it's their worst hour. When we respond, it's our best hour," said Billy Hanks, chief of the Christiansburg Fire Department.
With this year's academy being such a success, department officials say they are already looking forward to next year.