In 1993, a group of traveling international high school students had their vehicle break down in Cortez. On a whim, they decided to go to city hall and meet the mayor, city staff and firefighters at the nearby station.
Trip organizers were so impressed with the small-town hospitality, that every year since then, they return with a fresh batch of students to visit Cortez.
Its just so wonderful to show the students a small town, said Karen Cross, an activity director for AFS, an intercultural program. These guys are always awesome to us.
As part of the program, international exchange high school students studying in the Los Angeles area travel the Southwest to experience life and culture in rural America.
Students may experience camping, hiking at the Grand Canyon, whitewater rafting on the Animas River and the traditional Ute Bear Dance.
This year, the organization brought a dozen students from far away nations including Syria, Morocco, Brazil, Italy, Tunisia and Thailand. They were eager to tour the Cortez Fire Protection Districts station and get some hands-on experience with fire gear and equipment.
Students toured the fire station, asking about response area, female firefighters and the lack of a fire pole in the station. They also tried on fire gear and climbed on fire trucks.
Prapaporn Phondongnok, a 16-year-old from Thailand, dressed up in firefighters gear and posed for pictures.
I feel like Im going to space, she said.
AFS is a nonprofit exchange program that operates in more than 50 countries. For more information, go to www.afs.org.
Reach Reid Wright at reidw@cortezjournal.com