When 16-year-old Grayden Brunet joined the Sackets Harbor, New York, volunteer fire department in 2017, he was the youngest on the team by 20 years. He was so excited to be following in his dad’s footsteps that he persuaded two classmates, Niklas Brazie and Dalton Hardison, to sign up too.
A few years later, the older firefighters quit their jobs over COVID-19 concerns. Suddenly, the three teens not only were helping the Sackets Harbor volunteer fire department, they were the Sackets Harbor volunteer fire department. They were the ones responding to heart attacks, car accidents, and suicides. They were the ones sending COVID-19 patients to hospitals.
“We went from not even having our licenses to saving people’s lives,” Hardison told CBS.
As far as the teens were concerned, they couldn’t quit. If they did, Brunet told North County Public Radio, “The community would lose the ambulance.”
The three teens struggled on alone for a year until help arrived in the form of five more teens, all motivated to serve their neighbors in the town of 1, 300. “When they call 911, they’re expecting someone to help them,” says Sophia DeVito, who was 16 when she joined.
The job is taxing. One night last fall, the crew responded to two ambulance calls and a fire. They got home at 5:30a. m., just two hours before school started.
“It’s definitely hard coming back from the calls and having to take a math test,” Grayden’s younger brother Gannon told WWNY.
But they don’t mind the hard work. And the looks on the faces of 911 callers when they meet their rescuers? Priceless, says Cooper Antonson. “A lot of people ask, ‘Wait, how old are you?’”
4. Why did Brunet join the Sackets Harbor volunteer fire department?
A.Because people expected him to help. |
B.Because his father set an example to him. |
C.Because his two classmates persuaded him. |
D.Because the older firefighters quit their jobs. |
5. What does the underlined word “taxing” in pararaph 6 refer to?
A.Difficult. | B.Rewarding. |
C.Boring. | D.Helpful. |
6. Which words can be used to describe Brunet and his teammates?
A.Humorous and modest. | B.Brave and outgoing. |
C.Responsible and determined. | D.Enthusiastic and honest. |
7. What can be a suitable title of the passage?
A.Growing Hope | B.Special Volunteers |
C.Putting out Fires | D.A Challenging Job |