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What do you consider to be a jr. firefighter?
i'm 16 years old and although not an adult, i am regarded in my dept. as a full member of the team. im just not an interior firefighter.
i often get bumped off the truck for our interior firefighters, should they show up, (which i def. don't mind. i'd rather the situation gets under control professionally, then them be shortstaffed with me there)
but im wondering, what constitutes a jr from an explorer and a jr from a ff.
i've yet to take the ff1 course but theyre still taking me to scenes and asking me to do stuff (mostly gopher work) but what in your department would i be called?
is a jr a probie for you?
i often get bumped off the truck for our interior firefighters, should they show up, (which i def. don't mind. i'd rather the situation gets under control professionally, then them be shortstaffed with me there)
but im wondering, what constitutes a jr from an explorer and a jr from a ff.
i've yet to take the ff1 course but theyre still taking me to scenes and asking me to do stuff (mostly gopher work) but what in your department would i be called?
is a jr a probie for you?
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by kevin on
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well a jr firefighter in my dept is limitied to the things.wew have our jr fire fighters get tool and stuff for us.as far as firefighter 1 its alot of work but the man thing is to work hard and listen to your oic and just do what they older guys ask you to do.
to me a jr and a probie are a lil different
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Permalink Reply by Timothy D. Stone Jr on
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Not always red lol ours are yellow/green....lol....In my dept you would be an Explorer
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Permalink Reply by Loyd Dittfurth on
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Where I grew up no matter what age you were if you showed up and you could hang onto the truck and squirt water you went on the run. I was 12 the first fire I "put the wet stuff on the red stuff". The first structure I went into I think I was 17. Knowing now the danger and the lack of training. I am scared to death for that department. I tried to get some training organized but they only wanted to turn it into a beer drinking party. Its hard to teach old dogs new tricks when you grew up there and they still see you as that 17 year old kid that got drunk and fell out of his pickup. I dont care what age you are if you can physically do the job and mentally have the knowledge and training. Im all for yes let them be what they are fire fighters. But I have never met a real firefighter that is extremely (hey look at me im a fireman) Just keep that in mind it will accually gain you some respect
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Permalink Reply by BillySFCVFD on
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Lloyd,
What we learn from the past makes us safer today. Using kids for dangerous tasks is not one of them. Everything you stated about your FD in the past is luck over stupidity and maybe drunkeness. Have you ever been anywhere else but your little town? It sounds like probably not.
Also sounds like alcohol consumption was part of your training at a young age. Didn't you mention before that you got a DWI/DUI or two. Go figure. TCSS
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Permalink Reply by Roy Walker on
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THIS IS VERY DISTURBING TO ME . I'VE NEVER HEARD OF CLASSIFYING A F/F AS AN INTERIOR OR EXTERIOR F/F. IF YOU ARE ON THE SCENE AS A QUALIFIED F/F THEN YOU ARE EXPECTED TO DO WHAT EVER IS REQUIRED OR ASSIGNED TO YOU.
YOU YOURSELF ADMIT THAT YOU DON'T KNOW IF YOU WANT TO BE AN INTERIOR F/F. YOUR DEPERTMENT SOUNDS LIKE THEY MAY BE HAVING TROUBLE PROVIDING ENOUGH MAN POWER FOR SOME OF YOUR OPERATIONS. THE RESOLUTION FOR THAT IS CALLED ONE OF THREE OPTIONS; MUTUAL AID , COMBINING WITH ANOTHER DEPARTRMENT , OR CLOSE DOWN . RELYING ON ANYONE UNDER THE AGE OF 18 IS ILLEGAL AND UNDEFENSIBLE. I DON'T MEAN THIS TO SOUND LIKE THE RAMBLINGS OF AN INSTRUCTER THAT NEEDS TO PREACH BUT THERE ARE REASONS FOR THE AGE LIMIT AND THERE WILL BE HELL TO PAY IF YOU WERE EVER TO GET INJURED ONTHE JOB. THERE IS PLENTY TO LEARN BEFORE HAND AND I FEAR YOU ARE BEING LED DOWN A PATH THAT YOU ARE UNPREPARED TO TRAVEL FOR FOR MANY REASON'S .SO SLOW DOWN AND LEARNYOUR BASICS. WHEN THE TIME COMES YOU WILL HAVE PLENTY OF TIME TO AQUIRE ALL THE EXPERIENCE YOU NEED. GOOD LUCK
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Permalink Reply by Marvin Hawk on
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Caroline:
The problem with your question is that you may get anywhere from 50 to 65 different answers, depending on how many states, provinces and territories you get answers from. In my Department here in NY you would be a Firefighter. New York State (OFPC) does not recognize an animal called Junior Firefighter, you either are a Firefighter or you aren't. Also in NY. the age for being a Firefighter is left up the the Autority Having Jurisdiction (AHJ). In my departments case it is 16.
What then happens is you fall under the department SOG/SOP. In my department you are not allowed to go interior unless it is at a State Training Course, or at the Chief's discression at training. We do not allow under 18 members to do interior opperations at working fires. Again at the Chief's discression they may be allowed to participate in overhaul/salvage operations once the fire is out.
As an under 18 member you also are not allowed to vote at the annual election of officers, and like your department you can be bumped by a more qualified Firefighter.
You must have/maintain a pasing G.P.A. in school, and you can not leave school for any thing other than a confirmed structure fire or a request for all available manpower. Your school must agree to release you.
Also you do not get a blue light (NY), you must respond to the station, unless otherwise directed by the Chief, and you must obey all traffic laws.
I am on my second go around with being part of starting /supervising an under 18 programme, so far I/we have had about 13 young people go through the program. Of those 13, only three have not stayed in the fire service. Others have gone on to other departments due to moves or education. If my math serves me right that is about a 77% retainment rate over a 10 year period. In a day and age where not a lot of people are knocking down the doors to the station to join, I'll take all the under 18's any one can find me.
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Permalink Reply by FireFighter 13-51 on
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Well at my department i am considered a junior but we are allowed to take all classes up to firefighter 2 before we turn 18 just cant go in a fire until 18 out of training
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Permalink Reply by Rachel on
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In my department you are a cadet from 16-18. Once you are 18 you are allowed to work at the fire and on medical calls. Until then you can respond, but only do a limited amount of work.
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Permalink Reply by capcityff on
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ANDDDD only a kid or junior or explorer or whatever he wants to be called would bring back a threat from over a year ago.
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Permalink Reply by FETC on
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You need to be 18 to join the fire department in NH. We have a Fire Explorer Post. 13-18 year old kids. They are considered "students" of the fire service. This "Junior Firefighter" tag is some homemade title and some department's choose to call them that because they don't like the BSA rules, so they decide to make their own rules. BSA Fire Explorers are governed by the rules set forth by the council and are not allowed to be placed in harms way. In our response guidelines, you will never go to the emergency scene, unless you are brought there with a Explorer Advisor, and that is still for a learning tool not working. All on the scene are fully trained and can do what is asked of them. I am sorry but the fireground is not the time to teach FF1 for the first time nor is it a time to babysit non certified guys.
Juniors are not Probies, Explorers are not Probies, Either way you look at it, they should be considered students of the fire service and not used as a replacement or fill in for a fully trained active member. I know some places use them to fill out crews but that is not in the best interest of the customer who expects a professional level of service for their tax dollar.
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Permalink Reply by John Dobson on
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On my Dept under 18 is a Jr. We have a Jr plan in place just no Jrs.
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Permalink Reply by Paul Schewene on
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It depends on where you are.
In my era as a 16 year old, I was a junior firefighter.
Today, they call em explorers around these parts.
Some departments in my era called those who were under the age of 18 "cadets".
A 'probie' is a term, that applies to a newly hired firefighter in a paid department. It works sort of like this.
1.) You apply.
2.) You take the civil service test
3.) You get called eventually, based on the scores of your test, when the department is ready to organize a recruit class.
4.) If selected to attend recruit training, you do so as a 'candidate'.
5.) Upon successful graduation from recruit training, you are assigned to your first company, as a probationary firefighter, or 'probie'. During this time, you'll acclimate yourself to life as a firefighter in your department, often doing a lot of crap jobs and so on. This is your chance to prove to your brothers and sisters that you're going to be a team player that they can count on, regardless of the job assignment. (This is why probies get the crap jobs... if they won't give their best in boring crap work... how can anyone trust them to give their best when their butt is on the line?) During this period, if the probie doesn't measure up, they can be discharged MUCH easier than members who have not successfully completed probation.
In the volunteer fire service, a probationary firefighter, is someone who has been accepted as a member, but is under a probationary period, where they can get to know the department and get comfortable with it, while the department members get comfortable with them. This is when initial training should happen, and when you will hopefully take the time to really get to know your jurisdiction, the people you serve, and the people you serve with.
As a junior firefighter... your presence on any scene is strictly an optional deal. Your job is strictly as a gopher, and to LEARN from what you see. Don't pay a lot of attention or get too big a hankering to become an 'interior firefighter'. That job SUCKS. It's dirty, smelly, hot, nasty, and dangerous. Not to mention, is physically hard work. How hard? Try unloading an 18 wheel truck in the heat of the day, by hand. Now multiply that discomfort and work level, by a factor of 20, and compress that work load into 15 minutes.
When you're on a scene... take note of how firefighters take the time to size up the emergency, and develop a plan for dealing with it. Take note of how systematically they arrive, size up, establish a water supply and attack. See how they operate 'flexibly'... sometimes going for the water supply before the attack... sometimes starting the attack and establishing the water supply later. Notice how they don't wet their pants just because there's a lot of fire.
Take note of how to properly carry equipment. How you pick up an axe and carry it, can make a huge difference if you fall with it. (And there's enough trip and slip hazards on a fire scene to provide the Three Stooges PLENTY of opportunities to do all kinds of pratfalls)
As a junior firefighter, you get the chance to go BEYOND the 'do not cross' tape, and get an intimate view of what it takes to safely manage an emergency scene. You get a backstage pass at training drills, and a chance to learn things that most people outside of the fire service never get a chance to see. You also get exposure to your local government, and how it is constructed, and learn more about how a fire department is funded.
I completely enjoyed my time as a junior firefighter... and when I was one... I'm not so sure even I appreciated just what an amazing chance I was getting.
Jump all over the unglamorous parts of being a junior firefighter now. Take some time to learn from the officers of your fire department, especially that one that wears the gold badge and the white helmet.
It'll pay off big down the line. Several friends of mine from the junior fire service, wound up becoming paid firefighters. One that I know for sure, wound up becoming a paid firefighter and then an officer... also owned his own business and worked in the business/construction community, and now has a career in politics to boot.
As for me... I had the time of my life in the business, first as a junior firefighter and then later, as a volunteer firefighter/EMT.
Stay safe and enjoy your time as a junior firefighter. It's a GREAT opportunity for you the begin to develop yourself into someone who is going to be one of our society's real contributors!:)
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