Youth Squad's / Jr. Firefighters - Jr Firefighting camp

[fireemsworld1]

As a child, I was always interested in the fire department. Like any little boy, I aspired to be a firefighter for a good portion of my childhood. Who wouldn’t want to be. You get to drive in a shiny red truck, lights and sirens. Jump into a burning building and save lives. Sounds a lot better than being a teacher,or a cab driver.

When I was 14, I was finally old enough to join the Jr. Fire Department with some of my friends. I’ll never forget how excited I was. The juniors in this department even got the old leftover Motorola “brick” pagers, so we could listen up as the tones went out. We had our weekly meetings, fundraisers, and even got a jump-start on learning the trucks.

Now that I am older, I am a volunteer EMT for an Ambulance Company. Our company has a Youth Squad for kids 12 and over. The Youth Squad is definitely beneficial for both the kids, and the Company. The kids are getting hands on experience with all of the equipment on the rigs. They are getting CPR certified, learning first aid, holding fundraisers, and mostly KEEPING OUT OF TROUBLE. The Youth Squad is giving the kids a chance to learn how to do good, become a useful part of our society, and to help people. As a member of the squad, the kids can also ride the ambulance as an observer at 16, and enroll in an EMT class at 17 – which is paid for by the company.

What does the company get out of it? New Volunteers. Most of these kids, will join as a Volunteer when they turn 18. And the best part about it is that they are already trained to do most everything. All in all, I think that getting your children involved with a Volunteer organization will help everyone. It will teach your child values, and help ensure the volunteer base for the next generation to come. I urge all companies to start or continue with their youth programs, as it is a win/win for all. Please share your comments.