LAFD Cadet Proves Strength Has No Limits

When Sebastian Main was around four to five years old, he looked down at his arms and realized that he did not have a right hand.  

And he thought it was cool. The young Main was proud of this unique aspect of his physicality. Up until this point, he had not given it much thought.  

But by middle school, being one-handed was no longer cool to him. Main spent his days at school navigating incessant bullying, feeling othered, and wondering why it was he, out of all of his classmates, who had to be born different.  

“Everything is already so awkward [in middle school], and I didn’t want to be different,” he reflected. From that period on through high school, he struggled not because of academic challenges, but because of the consistent cruelty he endured from other students.  

“Physically it’s fine,” Main said of growing up and learning how to go about daily life with only his left hand. “The mental challenges behind it are something that people don’t really think about.”

Despite all this, Main had known from an early age that he wanted to be a firefighter.

He was playing in his front yard on his third birthday when the crew from Los Angeles Fire Department (LAFD) Fire Station 58 drove by, waving and honking their horns. The memory of the toy chainsaw he was holding and the red engine with friendly faces rolling by left a permanent imprint.

Though his high school did not offer alternative programs or a pathway to a firefighting career, Main dedicated his time to studying as much about the LAFD as he could. He taught himself about different LAFD operations, how different tools are used in the field, and sought out resources that would help him prepare for his journey.

People doubted Main from the very beginning. He shared his firefighting goals with so-called friends and classmates and was mocked. No one believed that he was capable of a career in fire.  

But Main believed in himself so much that this had no impact on the pursuit of his dream.  

“People can think whatever they want about me,”

he stated. “I’m still going to put the work in to get where I want to be.”

A video that he saw on Instagram featuring an LAFD Cadet at a structure fire piqued his interest. Finally, he had a path to follow.

Joining the elite Cadets, the highest level of LAFD youth programs that young adults can pursue if they are looking for a career in the fire service, was more than a simple application. Only 10 of the 106 LAFD Fire Stations have a cadet post, where cadets train alongside firefighters in a real work environment as part of the crew.  

Main signed up for orientation, completed his application, and hit all of his marks on the physical ability test, from push-ups and pull-ups to squats and a running test. He moved on to the interview process and was assigned to LAFD Fire Station 64, where he has been since January 2025.

But Main has not stopped there. In February, he began orientation for Crew 3, one of the LAFD’s volunteer wildland hand crews, a special team led by LAFD experts that cut fire lines, clear brush, and tackle the most grueling parts of wildfire suppression. He began training in April and has been an active member of Crew 3 since.  

Main has not let navigating life with one hand stop him from accomplishing his goals, and he does not plan to. He is grateful to be in an environment with the LAFD where he is held to the same standard as everyone else. With the LAFD, he is treated like an equal, another member of the team.

“Doing the dishes is not easy,” he laughed. It takes him more time, but he still gets them done. “Most of the things that I’ve done so far have come to me naturally,” he added. And if not, he has an incredibly supportive crew at Fire Station 64 and with Crew 3 that help him take a more practical approach when necessary.  

“I want to emphasize how grateful I am for the members at 64s, and the Cadet program as a whole,”

he shared. He underscored that his success so far is a direct result of their support and mentorship.

After knocking down a fire near Highland Park with Crew 3, Main and his fellow members were waiting for one of the LAFD drone units to finish looking for hot spots. Exhausted after the tough firefight, sitting on the side of a hill, surrounded by his comrades, Main had a moment of realization.  

“I’m where I’ve been waiting to be my whole life.”

To other firefighter hopefuls, especially those who worry they are not good enough or do not have what it takes, Main says, “Don’t be afraid to take the first step.”

“And when you do, don’t look back. Keep pushing forward.”