Are you interested to see what the fire service is all about? Do you think firefighting may be a career for you? Come and join the Junior Firefighter Program at Wall VFD to answer all your questions and experience what the fire service has to offer you!
What its all about
In recognition of the need to get younger people involved with the fire service and to get them more involved with their community, the Wall Volunteer Fire Department developed a Junior Firefighter Program.
Under Wall VFD’s definition of Junior Firefighters, the applicants must be students between the ages of 15 to 17 years old and receiving passing grades in all their classes. At any time their school performance drops below minimum passing grades, the student will be removed from the Junior Firefighter Program in order to reduce distractions from their school work.
For someone to become a Wall VFD Junior Firefighter, they must understand and follow the procedures outlined below:
1. Make application for membership. Along with the application must be a signature of support on this form from the parents giving permission to participate in fire department activities. Return this form along with your application.
2. Applicant must be between the ages of 15 and 17 years of age.
3. When voted into the Junior Firefighter Program by the membership, the Jr Firefighter will be placed on probation until the 18th birthday at which time the Jr Firefighter can apply for full firefighter membership.
4. Jr Firefighters participate in all department related activities such as training, fundraisers, and station/equipment maintenance. They may respond with the department to emergencies with severe restrictions on emergency scene activities.
5. Jr Firefighters will be issued firefighter protective clothing that includes a YELLOW firefighter helmet. This helmet MUST be worn for all fire training and fire department response activity. This YELLOW helmet indicates the member is a Jr Firefighter that CAN NOT be utilized in any hot zone or high-risk activities.
6. When Jr Firefighters respond to any department calls, they will be under the direct control of the Senior Fire Officer and Jr Firefighters MUST NOT take direction from any other person on scene that will put them into a hot zone or high-risk activity.
7. Since a Jr Firefighter CAN NOT enter a hot zone to affect a rescue or provide life saving treatment, Jr Firefighters MAY NOT install emergency lighting on their vehicles. When responding to emergencies, the Jr Firefighter MUST adhere to all traffic laws. The Jr Firefighter’s activities at an emergency will involve assisting with tools and equipment and breathing apparatus bottle changes on active firefighters.
8. Jr Firefighters MAY NOT drive or act as the pump operator on any fire department apparatus at the scene of an emergency.
9. Junior Firefighters MUST maintain passing grades in their school classes to remain active in fire department activities. Failing classes is grounds for removal from the Jr Firefighter program.
10. The parent is ultimately responsible for their child. Therefore, if a parent requests the Jr Firefighter be removed from the program Wall VFD will honor that request.
Any violation of the listed rules by the Jr Firefighters can be grounds for termination.