On May 31, 2013 the 7th and 8th graders at WJHS heard from Wilmette Fire Chief Jim Dominik and Lieutenant Ben Wozney (both alumni of D39). Jim and Ben spoke about the various ways firemen and EMT (Emergency Medical Technician) professionals use math.
They explained that math was an integral part of their jobs and impacted the safety of the firefighters and fire victims in the everyday dangerous situations they face.
Each person in the fire department has different roles based on an emergency and all of them are dependent on knowing math. Important things that need to be addressed at a moment’s notice include (1) determining how many firefighters to send to a fire (typically 15-17!) (2) determine the amount of water and flow to fight the fire based on the square footage of the property (3) how to administer the correct dosage of medications to those critically ill to attempt to save their lives.
The kids walked away amazed at the complexity of the firefighter/paramedic job and how math is involved in every aspect. Math in the Real World truly brought math facts to life!