OUR INSTRUCTORS
Our team of individuals who make this possible
MEET THE TEAM
CORE INSTRUCTORS
Captain Hayes is currently serving his 15th year with Milwaukee Fire Department. He recently was promoted to Captain and took over Engine 37 as his new home. Prior to working for MFD, Captain Hayes worked for Menomonee Falls Fire Department for 12 years. He was also recently hired by WCTC to teach FIRE classes as an adjunct instructor.
He is married to his wife Melissa and has three daughters: Meghan, Emily, and Lilly.
Most of his free time is spent in the woods bowhunting from a tree stand or hunting with one of the family dogs. He also spends lots of time riding UTVs or camping with family and friends.
What does JFI mean to Captain Hayes? “It’s about helping young adults get hands-on application to the fire service and building better people!”
Lieutenant Joel Correa was raised in Milwaukee, attended MPS schools, and graduated from Hamilton High School. From a young age, he knew he wanted to give back to the community and other young adults. In high school, he was part of the “Big Brother Program” and was given experiences he wouldn’t have otherwise had. After high school, he joined the United States Marine Corps, where he served for 8 years and traveled to many countries, including Iraq. In the Marine Corps, he learned about honor, courage, commitment, resilience, and the importance of never giving up on the mission or goal. In 2011, he joined the Milwaukee Fire Department, which was a longtime dream of his. Now, Correa serves on the Milwaukee Fire Department Honor Guard Team, Peer Support Team, JFI, and volunteers with Ignite the Spirit. He has helped the Junior Fire Institute since 2015, and he truly enjoys helping young adults accomplish their dreams and teaching them about not only firefighting but also how to become responsible young adults.
Mike Rice has been a firefighter with the Milwaukee Fire Department for 7.5 years and is currently stationed as a relief lieutenant out of the 1st Battalion. He’s a proud member of the Heavy Urban Rescue Team with a specialty in high-angle and rope rescue drills.
Prior to joining the Milwaukee Fire Department, he spent 5 years part-time with the Menomonee Falls Fire Department. Rice also has an Associate’s Degree in Fire Science from MATC. He has been married to his wife Kelly for the past 2 years.
In his free time, he enjoys teaching, fishing, hiking, and playing the drums. His goal is to inspire the next generation to pursue a career in the fire service and start them with a good skill set of fundamentals. “I believe I will help the JFI continue to be a success by having dedication to my craft, making me a better instructor. I also believe in maintaining discipline to set up groundwork for future careers in the fire service.”
Teddy Alvarado joined the Milwaukee Fire Department in 2019 and has been part of the JFI for the past few years. In his free time, he enjoys being active with his family.
Participating in JFI brings him joy in knowing that he is not only helping possible future firefighters, but other positive contributors to society. “JFI is more than firefighting—it’s molding these kids to become great adults!” Teddy believes that his encouragement to the youth in JFI makes him an important leader.
Lt. Chuck Roberts (retired) has served 20 years in the fire service on volunteer/part-time departments in Illinois (5 years) and most recently in Eagle, Wisconsin (15 years). He holds eight State of Wisconsin fire service certifications and was a nationally registered EMT.
Learning about the JFI and its mission aligned with his personal commitment to serve and help others. He has been with the JFI since October 2022.
“Working with the young men and women in the JFI provides the opportunity to share what I have learned as well as support the core of the program: Pride, Respect, Honor, Teamwork, Community, and Volunteer. It is a tremendous privilege to be associated with the great instructors and students.”
In his spare time Chuck enjoys fishing, woodworking, cooking, and “cruising with the top down”.
OTHER INSTRUCTORS
Alec Taczala has been a firefighter/paramedic for just over a year. He grew up in Mukwonago, WI and is the third generation of firefighters in his family. He started with the Milwaukee Explorer Post 875 (now known as JFI) in 2013. Alec wanted to become a Milwaukee firefighter due to the great impact of his experiences with the JFI, such as seeing Lt. Gautier, Lt. Correa, Lt. Rice, Captain Hayes, and many others volunteering their time to give back to the community. As a JFI instructor, Alec inspires others who want to become firefighters in the future. “I also like to express the importance of never forgetting where you came from and who helped you along the way.”
In his free time, Alec enjoys outdoor activities such as hunting and fishing, as well as staying physically fit and, most importantly, spending time with his family.
Alyssa has been a firefighter/paramedic with the Milwaukee Fire Department for almost 5 years. She is currently stationed at MED 18 where she enjoys passing along her knowledge to her probationary firefighter to help him learn both the MED unit as well as Engine Company tasks.
Prior to graduating the academy as a firefighter, Alyssa went through the two-year cadet program.
Alyssa started to grow her passion for firefighting when she joined the JFI program at age 16.
Outside of work, she has a passion for painting, reading, cooking, and traveling the country with her boyfriend and two dogs.
HEO Todd Stille has been with the Milwaukee Fire Department for 4 years. He was a member of the North Boone District #3 Fire Department in Poplar Grove, IL for 12 years before MFD. His current assignment is driving Engine 37 on the Green Shift. He is a late bloomer, coming onto the job at 47, but it has been the most rewarding career he has ever had. “It is a pleasure having a job where you look forward to going to work every shift.”
In his free time, he enjoys watching the Packers, reading, and spending time with his family.
“Being involved with JFI is such a great experience every time. Getting to interact with the kids who are aspiring to enter the fire service when they get older and are keen to learn about the different aspects of the job is extremely rewarding.”
Genesis Barillas is a fourth-year nursing student at the University of Wisconsin – Milwaukee. She has been a member of the Milwaukee Junior Fire Institute since its foundation, having transitioned from Explorer Post to JFI in 2013. At JFI, she learned firefighting was not the field for her; however, the strong camaraderie that she experienced as a student encouraged her to stay involved. Currently, her largest role within the organization is planning and budgeting meals and organizing volunteers for the JFI Summer Camp.
RETIRED ADVISORS
Lieutenant Jeffrey J. Gauthier is a 22-year veteran of the Milwaukee Fire Department and a former volunteer firefighter from Menomonee Falls. Now retired, he was a Lieutenant from 2008 to 2022 and began as the Lead Instructor for Explorer Post 875 in 2009. He is extremely proud of this organization and the team of people who helped form the Milwaukee Junior Fire Institute; he loves the fire service and working with young adults interested in the fire service. Gauthier was active on the Milwaukee Fire Department Peer Support Team and worked to incorporate skills learned in the behavioral health field into day-to-day firefighting operations. He actively worked to reduce the stigma around mental health by sharing his journey and teaching to young students the skills he learned, including different breathing techniques that can be used as students become proficient in Self-Contained Breathing Apparatus use and in day-to-day life to stay grounded in stressful situations. He enjoys being on his motorcycle and spending time with his wife Maggie and their dog Ozzy.
Maggie O’Donnell’s first experience with the Junior Fire Institute was baking cookies for their holiday party 10 years ago. She went on to carry equipment and take pictures of the students and instructors participating in the US Bank Stair Climb and was inspired by how they tackled the physical challenge and raised money for a great cause. O’Donnell asked Lt. Gauthier if she could participate in the Stair Climb, and she was allowed, provided that she volunteered at the monthly JFI meetings. She has been volunteering for the organization ever since. She continues to be inspired by both the students who learn and push themselves to accomplish things they never thought possible and by the instructors who work tirelessly to mentor the students and show them what honor, courage, and integrity are all about.
OUR HISTORY
The Milwaukee Junior Fire Institute (JFI), originally conceived in 1994 as the Boy Scouts of America Fire Explorer Post #875 (a Division of their Learning for Life Program), was begun by then Milwaukee Firefighter Dan Baron. Fire Fighter Baron eventually moved on to become a New York City Firefighter, ultimately finishing his career as a member of their elite Rescue Company 5.
Past notable program participants who went on to become instructors include Captain Timothy Leszczynski, Captain AJ Hornick, Lt. Todd Christensen. Past directors include the current Chief of the Milwaukee Fire Department, Chief Aaron Lipski!
Lieutenant Jeffrey Gauthier took over as the Lead Advisor and Director in 2010. While he continued growing the program’s reach and membership, gathering new students and instructors alike, a core of dedicated individuals emerged. With this growing surge in enthusiasm and students, the JFI began the process of becoming its own 501-c(3) in 2014. Roughly one year later, having achieved nonprofit status and officially entitled the Milwaukee Junior Fire Institute, the first-ever JFI Summer Camp became a reality: a four-day, three-night, full-immersion fire service exploration camp. The camp presents opportunities for students to fully engage in a safe and controlled firefighter experience being housed on our Fire Academy campus in large dorm settings and participating in one-on-one instruction, group classes, hands-on demonstrations, live-fire training, and team-building experiences.
The Junior Fire Institute is designed for students between the ages of 14 to 20 years old. The goal of the JFI is always to help our students find a career path that they are passionate about and inspire them to aggressively pursue that path with Pride, Respect, and Honor. As of 2021, over thirty-eight of our JFI Alumni have gone on to become full-time firefighters, the majority as frontline Firefighters and Paramedics in the City of Milwaukee!
