A Salute to Addison County & Brandon
FIREFIGHTERS
August 2018
Fire cadet’s dream transcends both language & culture By CHRISTOPHER ROSS MIDDLEBURY — English is not his first language. America is not his first culture. But this has not stopped 17-yearold Sepehr Belar from pursuing his childhood dream of becoming a firefighter. That dream, so common among children the world over, just happens to have begun in Tehran, Iran, where Belar grew up, and where fire-related tragedies left a strong impression on him. “One time in our neighborhood in Tehran a building exploded because of a gas leak. Another event, when I was little: I saw a disaster on the news that a 12-story building collapsed because of structure failure, and some residents died.” In January 2017, as Belar was applying to become a cadet with the Middlebury Fire Department, he watched the news from afar as dozens of firefighters in his hometown were killed battling a blaze in one of the city’s most iconic high-rises, which collapsed on them. A few months later, when Belar officially became a cadet, it’s fair to say he knew what he was getting into. Fire cadets are typically 14 to 17 years old. Those who stick with it can become probationary firefighters when they turn 18, at which point they become eligible to enroll in Firefighter I training from the Vermont Division of Fire Safety. “I think that firefighting is very important because it saves lives and property,” (See Dream, Page 12) SEVENTEEN-YEAR-OLD Sepehr Belar joined the Middlebury Fire Department as a cadet in 2017. Though English is not his first language, he has stayed committed and looks forward to taking firefighter training when he turns 18.
Independent photo/Trent Campbell
A special publication of The Addison Independent