In the past, when the fire whistle blew in the Highlands area, enough firefighters arrived in two or three trucks to fight the fire. Now, they need eight or 10 trucks just to have enough manpower to protect the surrounding homes.

The number of volunteer firefighters statewide has dropped from 300,000 in 1976 to 50,000 today, and Bill Rossey, president of the Highlands Emergency Services Alliance, blames the drop on the increased training needed to become a firefighter or emergency medical technician.

There are 180 hours for firefighting essentials, plus another 152 hours to be an emergency medical technician, another 40 hours to be a first responder, another 40 hours in hazardous materials and another 16 hours if you want to actually drive the fire truck or ambulance.

"All these hours, just to be a volunteer, becomes an issue when you get out of school and you have other interests and other priorities, like a family and a job," Mr. Rossey said.

To combat the trend, the Highlands alliance has joined the Highlands School District and the Alle-Kiski Health Foundation to offer a unique firefighting course for sophomores, juniors and seniors at Highlands High School in Harrison. Mr. Rossey said the class is thought to be the first of its kind in the state, and perhaps, the nation.

It is unique in that it will be offered during the school day and will earn students three credits toward graduation; programs in other areas are offered after school, Mr. Rossey said.

"I can't say enough about Highlands High School for having the courage and the foresight to get involved in this. It's tremendous," said John Pastorek, chief executive officer of the Alle-Kiski Health Foundation.

Mr. Rossey said 16-year-olds can be EMTs. You must be 18 to fight a fire in Pennsylvania, but he would like see that changed to 17.

The Highlands district required three things to offer the class: It had to cost the district nothing, it had to be taught by a member of the teachers' union and it had to have more than 20 students, said Mr. Pastorek.

A $15,000 grant through state Sen. Sean Logan, D-Monroeville, will pay for the class materials. Mike Krzeminski, a social studies teacher and certified state instructor, will teach. More than 30 students have signed up.

In addition to helping the community, there are perks for young firefighters, too.

"It's an incentive to save some money when they go on to college," Mr. Rossey said. "Major colleges have on-campus fire departments," he said. "If you are trained and volunteer to serve, they'll give you free board at the college."

The health foundation is helping, too, Mr. Pastorek said.

"We're challenging the community to get involved. If the community meets the challenge, then we're going to give [the alliance] $25,000 to use for firefighter scholarships," he said. "Any young firefighter trainee who goes through the school program and graduates will be eligible."

The foundation is challenging the Highlands alliance to have at least 500 residents attend a community safety awareness fair Sept. 13 at the Heights Plaza Shopping Center in Harrison. The fair will bring firefighters, police, the state Game and Fish and Boat commissions and a dealer in all-terrain vehicles to talk about safety.

"If 500 people come and attend any of those community safety sessions, then they will have met their goal," Mr. Pastorek said.

Mr. Rossey, a 35-year member of the Tarentum Volunteer Fire Department and the borough manager, said his department has 12 active members, down from 45 members when he started.

"When [the whistle] blows, you expect someone to show up. It's getting to the point that, especially during the day, it's just not going to happen," he said. "After 9/11, boy, we thought we'd have all these people wanting to be firemen, to be heroes, but it didn't happen."