Last weekend, 36 teens from fire Explorer posts on Vashon and surrounding areas participated in a weekend at Camp Sealth designed to teach the skills needed to respond to a mass casualty incident.

The event, called Stuck on Vashon, was hosted by the Washington Association of Future Firefighters (WAFF) and organized primarily by two long-time Vashon Island Fire & Rescue volunteers, Rick and Deborah Brown. Both are also on the WAFF board and lead Vashon’s Explorer program.

On Saturday, the teens participated in sessions to learn skills needed in a mass casualty response, including triage, transportation and communication.

That night, they responded to a surprise drill: an Argosy cruise boat had exploded and 14 survivors with a variety of injuries had washed ashore. The next morning, they had a chance to learn lessons from the night before in another drill, this one an earthquake, which resulted in several people buried under debris.

Rick Brown thanked the members of the fire department and the community who assisted and called the weekend “an incredible success.” He noted that one young woman told him that she had been unsure she was capable of working in the fire service, but the weekend convinced her she has what it takes and she plans to pursue a career in the field — which is part of the reason WAFF holds events like this.

Vashon’s Explorer program is accepting applications for next year. For more information, stop by Station 55 on Bank Road or call 463-2405.