EASLEY — All Kyle Gilstrap ever really wanted to be was a firefighter. So he became an Explorer at 15, learning about the career, and when he was old enough, he enrolled in Greenville Technical College’s Fire Service Technology certificate program.

It took a little over a year after graduation in May 2008 to find a position, but when an opening became available recently at Gantt Fire Department, Gilstrap was ready. The certificate, Gilstrap says, was thorough, and he felt ready for the job thanks to a core curriculum in basic first aid, CPR, incident command, fire behavior, and rescue.

Continuous training takes place for all firefighters, and Gilstrap plans to take advantage of opportunities to learn more. With the credits he’s already earned, Gilstrap can complete an associate degree in fire service technology in just two more semesters, giving him the education he needs to some day advance on the job.

Gilstrap appreciates the schedule as much as the career. He works a 24-hour shift and then has 48 hours off, meaning that in an average year, he’ll work about 120 days. “This is really all I’ve ever wanted to do,” he says. “I like being able to help people on the job.”