Junior firefighter

Junior firefighting is a youth activity mostly organized by volunteer fire departments. It serves as a means of personal development for the youths, as well as a recruiting pool for the fire departments.

Training activities allow the teenagers to gain firefighting and emergency service experience without exposing them to the hazards faced on a real emergency scene. In most cases, they are not allowed to participate in real emergencies, but may take part in elaborate mock hazard situations.

Typical activities include sports, practicing firefighting techniques, communication using radios, practicing first aid, maintaining firefighting gear, firefighting drills and formation marching.

National groups

In the United States, junior firefighting goes by many names, incluing "Junior Fire Corps" and "Cadet Firefighting".

In the United Kingdom, it is organized through the "YFA - Young Firefighter Association".

In Germany, "Jugendfeuerwehr" is for youths from 10 to 17 years. In most German states, they are not allowed to take part in real emergencies until their 18th birthday, when they may join the regular fire department.

External links

*CTIF - International association of fire and rescue service: [http://www.ctif.org/CTIF-Youth-Leader-Commission CTIF Youth Leader Commission]
* [http://www.jugendfeuerwehr.de/ DJF] - german young firefighters association