Norwich Regional Vocational Technical High School senior Kyle Caswell wasn’t up yet for school on the morning of Feb. 25, when his scanner radio sounded for a fire at Fireside Brick Oven Pizza in Gales Ferry.

Already a three-year veteran volunteer for the Gales Ferry Fire Co., Caswell, 17, also worked at that restaurant. He woke his mom to ask if he could call the restaurant owner. She told him that was the fire chief’s job. Caswell couldn’t respond to the call, both because he had to get ready for school and because rules prohibit minors from early-morning fire calls.

But the bio-tech lab major at Norwich Tech, who is also a nationally certified EMT, already had experienced fire and medical calls that came close to home in his Gales Ferry village in Ledyard. He once responded to a serious medical call for the father of a longtime friend.

“It definitely sucks when you have any call at a house, and you know the family,” Caswell said.

Caswell started volunteering at the Gales Ferry Fire Co. at age 14. His mother, Michelle, said she was nervous from the start, thinking about what he might encounter. He already has seen motor vehicle crashes, fires and a drug overdose.

But for Caswell, it’s all part of preliminary career training.

Caswell chose Norwich Tech, first majoring in health tech before switching to bio tech. He will attend Central Connecticut State University in New Britain in the fall for the four-year registered nurse program. He then plans to earn a Ph.D. and a Doctor of Nursing Practice degree for research and clinical practices.

“I want to work at a Level 1 trauma center, New York Presbyterian or Mass General,” Caswell said, adding that military service is “still a possibility” as an Army field nurse.

More than his service at Gales Ferry Fire Co. is preparing Caswell for the frantic hustle of a big-city emergency ward. On May 20, he started a new volunteer shift with Groton Ambulance, while also continuing to serve at Gales Ferry, where he recently attended training sessions on new restraining straps and ropes and preparing patients for transport.

Fireside Pizza has not yet reopened, but the owners built a breakfast place called Sunny Side that opens June 13, and Caswell is working there.

Along with his honors, college-bound course load at Norwich Tech — Caswell will have four history, six biology and three bio-tech college course credits when he graduates — his diverse background gives him experience in juggling many tasks. Too many, at times, he admitted and his parents, Michelle and Kenneth, confirmed.

Caswell thanks his parents for “pushing” him to stay on track, to reach his lofty goals in one field and then concentrate on the next. In February of this year, he passed the national EMT certification course after failing the test twice. His parents would not let him get discouraged, he said.

“We’re proud of him for that,” Kenneth Caswell said. “Not too many 17-year-olds are nationally certified EMTs. And working on being an Eagle Scout.”

At age 5, Caswell went to Michigan with his parents to attend the Eagle Scout ceremony for his two twin cousins, Nicholas and Garrett Gumowski. Watching his cousins give their acceptance speeches, Kyle turned to his mother and said, “Mom, I want to be just like them. I want to be an Eagle Scout,” Michelle Caswell recalled. Her sister, the Scouts’ mother, Maria Gumowski, encouraged him to enroll in Scouting and get started.

“Now, when he is an Eagle Scout, they can come out here and see him (achieve the rank),” Michelle Caswell said.

Kyle Caswell, a Boy Scout in Troop 12 in Gales Ferry, proposed an Eagle Scout project as a farewell gift to the Gales Ferry Fire Co. This spring, he worked out a plan to renovate the much-used firehouse hall with new wainscoting, protective chair rails, new carpeting on the stage and a paint job. The project was approved in April and he started raising the estimated $3,000 he needs for the project.

Family members in Michigan, including another aunt, Brenda Trella, are raising and sending contributions. On May 20, Kyle set up a table with Krispy Kreme doughnuts outside the main gate at Electric Boat in Groton at 5:30 a.m. He raised $575 that morning.

Officially, Kyle has until his 18th birthday in November to obtain his Eagle Scout honor before he ages out of Boy Scouts. His father wants him to finish a few other merit badges he is working on as well, including a cooking badge. Kyle recently cooked dinner for the family as part of that effort.

But realistically, as he prepares to head off to college, he hopes to finish the firehouse project this summer.

“I wanted to renovate the hall as a farewell, to say ‘goodbye’ as an active member of the department,” he said.

Fire Chief Anthony Saccone, a 14-year veteran chief, said he will be sorry to lose Caswell when he heads off to college.

“He came to us when he was still in high school, very excited to get involved with EMT certification,” Saccone said. “He passed his test. He’s been a real go-getter as a firefighter and an EMT, but he really, really likes the EMS side. He just loves EMS calls.”

His mother said Caswell at first worked day shifts on weekends but soon realized the evening and night crews got more calls. He asked if he could work the later shifts.

Saccone said the department now has four other young members: two 15-year-olds and two 16-year-olds. State regulations govern what the young members can do when responding to calls. For example, firefighters under age 18 cannot go inside a building to fight a fire.

Saccone thanked Caswell for the upcoming renovation project, which was approved by the fire department’s governing body.

“The hall is outdated,” Saccone said. “It gets a lot of use. We’re more than happy to have him do it, freshen it up.”

c.bessette@theday.com