Fire academy opens door to new career path

By Ty Walker, The Mountain Times

Koen Lewis is setting his sights on a new career path. After graduating from Sandy High School, he gave the HVAC industry a try, but found that it wasn’t for him. 

His heart wasn’t in it. It wasn’t what he wanted to do the rest of his life.

“I worked as an HVAC but after a year on the job, I really didn't love it that much so I sat down with my parents and discussed other career options,” Koen said. “I had some uncles that were firefighters back in the day.”

He thought he would give firefighting a shot. If it’s good enough for his uncles, maybe it’s good enough for him. Maybe he’ll find the fulfillment he’s looking for, a more meaningful career. 

So he took the first steps down his new career path. He applied to the Hoodland Fire District Volunteer Firefighter training Academy.

Koen started the program last October and along with a class of 10 others, including a friend he had known since grade school, earned his volunteer firefighting badge in March of this year.

“I’ve been loving it so far,” Koen said of the Hoodland training program. “The guys there are awesome. Everybody there’s been great. It’s been a great learning opportunity, working on building my skills as a firefighter, just to get better.”

Besides his old childhood friend, he has made several new friends through the academy with a shared interest in giving back to their community. Koen likes helping other people as part of an emergency first-responder team. 

“It’s nice to do what I can here and there,” Koen said. “I grew up here, so it’s been nice to give back to the community.”

Koen’s long-term goal now is to become a full time career paramedic and firefighter. He expects to complete his certification as an emergency medical technician this summer and over the next year work toward getting his paramedic license. He already is taking prerequisite paramedics courses.

“I really like the camaraderie,” he said. “It’s like being on a big team. It’s been great, a really good experience. It’s a lot of fun. I’ve been liking it a lot.”

Koen, who recently turned 20, grew up in Sandy, where he lives with his family, including his parents and sister. In his spare time, he works out at the gym, practices Jujitzu, goes snowboarding on the mountain, and paddleboarding on the river.

He likes the physical aspect of being a firefighter. It fits his active lifestyle. 

“I like being out on water, paddleboarding on the river,” Koen said. “It’s a physical job. I like that you get to stay fit while at work. I go to the gym a lot.”

Hoodland Fire District staff consists of:

• 12 full time employees, including career firefighters, paramedics, and emergency responders who are available 24/7 to provide critical fire, rescue, and medical services.
• One part-time employee offers additional support to ensure the smooth operation of the department and assist in specialized tasks as needed.
• Approximately 30 volunteer personnel, who are the backbone of response efforts, work alongside career staff to help meet the community's needs during emergencies and support training and outreach programs.

Hoodland is now accepting applications for its 2026 Volunteer Firefighter Training Academy. For more information, email Lt. Evan Jarvis at evanjarvis@hoodlandfire.gov.