FARMINGTON — A routine fire drill at Foster Technology Center on Thursday morning became a learning experience for 16 students involved in the center’s firefighter safety program.

Arriving at the center at 374 High St. on the school’s firetruck and two Farmington firetrucks, the students donned their firefighter gear to search the building after the 100-plus students from several classes evacuated.

Checking every room, one group was surprised to find a class of adult education students still working in one small classroom despite the ear-piercing alarm.

“They found people and sent them out,” John Churchill, class instructor, of the drill that the young firefighters didn’t know about.

The routine drill needed to be done and provided a perfect scenario for students in the firefighting program to train, Glenn Kapiloff, center director, said.

This year’s class, which meets every other day for four hours at the Farmington fire station, is split fairly evenly between girls and boys. Most of the girls followed family members into local, volunteer fire departments, a gathering of students said after the exercise.

Some have plans to continue working with the local fire departments after their classwork is finished.

Courtney Drexel of New Sharon, a second-year student in the class, came back to help teach some of the first-year students, she said. It’s something she really enjoys.

Each student has to be sponsored by a local fire department that provides the gear needed and mentors to help the young firefighter along.

One of the best parts, as shared by the students, is that the class has become “so close, it really is a family.”

The young firefighters received high marks for their effort Thursday from Churchill.

“They work together well and help each other out,” he said.

As the students knelt to don their gear to enter the building, one student urged them to “hurry up, you only have seconds.” It’s not to be rough on them but to help teach them to adapt to the situation, Churchill said. Some students said their adrenalin kicked in.

Along with sponsorship by a local department, each applicant for the program goes before a board comprising the police chief and firefighters to answer questions, he said.

The students were all smiles as they climbed back into their own firetruck, one purchased a couple years ago from Pennsylvania, Kapiloff said. Farmington Fire Chief Terry Bell found the vehicle on the Internet and the school was able to purchase it. The Pennsylvania firefighters were thrilled it was going to be used for student training, he added.

The renovated center at Mt. Blue High School will have its own fire hydrant for practice and space to house the firetruck.

According to the Foster Technology Center website, the students are trained to National Fire Protection Association standards, those needed by local departments before a firefighters can enter a structure fire or attend a car fire.

The class has done some training at the fairgrounds but will have a building to use for training in New Vineyard starting next week. Class members anticipate burning the building at the end of the year.

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