Junior Firefighters

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Permalink Reply by Joe Sheldon on September 1, 2007 at 11:49pm

I would love to have a formal juniors program in my dept. Maybe we can talk some day about how to get one started.

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Permalink Reply by LadyChaplain on September 1, 2007 at 11:56pm

Joe ~ you may want to contact your local Boy Scout office. They often have the funds and parameters to set up an Explorer program, which functions much like the juniors.

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Permalink Reply by Junior Whacker on September 2, 2007 at 12:02am

At our company, we got an old van given to us.We set a date and practices our rescue skills.Practiced with our Hurst tools and cribbing and various other things.Then after that was done, my dad and i hauled it off for scrap to the local junk yard and got $274 for the company and the company got it for nothing! I,as a Junior, though it was fun.It would be even better to catch it on fire and put it out.Think about things you do fairly often.Brush fires?Structure?Barn?Rescue?Spills?Lift Assist?Animal Rescue?Practice what you do fairly often.

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Permalink Reply by Nikolas Sinn on September 2, 2007 at 7:31am

For our jr member program we work a lot of bingo, usually towards the end of bingo we do 50-50 and all the money we make from 50-50 goes to the jr members, we do carwashes sometimes, but not very often, the officers at our department make sure to get the jr members involved with everything they do, we do a lot of search and rescue training, just at the firehouse, we pull attack lines a lot too, we are trying to get them to take the juniors on a trip to DC, so we can visit some firehouses down there.. we have adopted a highway, and we pick up trash.

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Permalink Reply by Justin Miller on September 2, 2007 at 11:07pm

Me being a jr basically we are there to learn as much as we can before we turn 18 and to help out at calls. Training ideas that i like are let them play around with the hose at a training its always fun because we never get to. Set up a search maze and let them search and if u have a dummy even better throw that in there. If you have a truck let them climb the stick, its always fun when you let jrs do that i know i loved it. Have a ground ladder practice and throw some ladders, hit a few hydrants. Basically the way i feel is that alot of companies say ooo he/she is a jr they cant do anything. We aren't going to learn anything just sitting back and watching. Just make sure you fallow the child labor laws and the jr rules at the station and let them play a lil.

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Permalink Reply by Dustin on September 3, 2007 at 3:50pm

I'm a former Explorer Training Officer. The best advice I can give as far as training goes, be eager and grateful for any and all training you get. You're learning from crews that are already where you want to be. Don't get to overzealous, TRUST ME on that one. And of course, when in the presence of senior members, MOUTH CLOSED, EARS OPEN. Best advice any firefighter ever gave me! Just be a sponge and absorb all info you get, and NEVER be afraid to ask questions or for help. As for helping your fellow Explorers, keep them safe and in the loop; Effective communication is one of the best tools that they can ever learn. Any questions at all feel free to hit me up. And savor these moments! You're at the beginning of your journey! Keep safe!

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Permalink Reply by Cory Parson on September 8, 2007 at 6:08am

As a Junior Chief of my company it can be challenging at time to make all Jr. members happy just because of age and personality. You want to try and keep all the younger guys you can get....talk to your chief and ask if Jr. members can have one time a month where they sit down with the Chief, and the Board of Directors and discuss issues that bother them the most.....we did this at our company since jr. members usually dont get a say in much that goes on in the company because of the age bracket....Jr.members are the future of EVERY company no matter where....keep them interested while their young and they will stay.

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Permalink Reply by Willie Parker on September 16, 2007 at 11:14pm

I am a Explorer with Asheville NC.
Working with Snozzels, engiens. Water strems, search and rescue, confined space and forible entry. just to name a few.

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Permalink Reply by matthew seals on September 26, 2007 at 2:14pm

well, the explorer program at my fire department are saving up money from fundraisers to go on a trip to Myrtle Beach, South Carolina to attend the National Firefighters Convention and the Firefighter Challenge in 2008. I think this is a great thing to do for them. They have these conventions all over the country, and it would be great to show them the firefighter challenge.

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Permalink Reply by Willie Parker on September 26, 2007 at 4:46pm

Yeah, we also go to the competition in gatlinburg TN. That's one is in jan, and I'm hoping that we will go to Myrtle Beach SC in 2008.

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Permalink Reply by Scottie on September 26, 2007 at 5:39pm

no junior should have a office they just come in

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Permalink Reply by Justin Miller on September 27, 2007 at 10:34pm

The way i interpreted everyone saying they are the junior officer, if they are a junior is that they have the most seniority, and that they are basically in charge of the juniors at a call. Thats just my understanding of it.

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