Senior Lukas Horne has been working alongside the Sedalia fire department since he was 16.

“I joined the West Douglas fire department as a volunteer because I wanted to help my community. The best way I could find to do that was by helping those who need it the most,” says Horne.

Lukas will respond to calls when they need him, but “even though the fire department is important school always comes first,” says Horne. This doesn’t stop him from putting his duties in front of things he enjoys though.

“Once before practice, I had to respond to a call labeled as a smoke investigation. Once on the scene, I realized that we were dealing with a forest fire and that I was going to have to miss practice that day,” says Horne.

Horne also gave his advice on what it would look like if you wanted to follow a career in firefighting. “Talk to your local fire department and see about getting a degree in fire science medicine or any other related fields. The more you know the better,” says Horne.