National Junior Firefighter Program

National-Junior-Firefighter-Program

The National Volunteer Fire Council’s (NVFC) National Junior Firefighter Program supports fire and emergency service departments by fostering relationships and engaging youth in learning about, and ultimately becoming, members of the emergency services. The program serves as an umbrella for junior firefighter programs nationwide to promote youth participation within the fire and emergency services community. It is crucial to attract people into the emergency services while they are young so that they form a lifelong connection, whether as a first responder or as a community supporter.

Junior firefighter programs give our nation’s youth the chance to learn about local fire, rescue, and emergency medical services response organizations in a safe, controlled, educational, and fun way and provides them with valuable life skills such as teamwork, leadership, responsibility, and commitment. It also provides the department with nonoperational support and a powerful recruitment mechanism.

The National Junior Firefighter Program offers information and tools to help fire/EMS departments develop, grow, enhance, and promote a local junior program. Resources available on this site include:

  • Training for departments and volunteers through the NVFC’s Virtual Classroom
  • Tools for departments to recruit for their junior firefighter program as well as a public web site to allow potential junior members to find local opportunities through the NVFC’s Make Me A Firefighter campaign
  • Information to start and implement a junior firefighter program
  • Information to recruit for and promote a local program
  • Tools to help potential volunteers get involved

Click here if you are a DEPARTMENT wishing to learn more and access resources.

Click here if you are a prospective JUNIOR FIREFIGHTER wishing to learn more and access resources.

History of the National Junior Firefighter Program

The NVFC launched the National Junior Firefighter Program in 2007 to support fire departments by fostering relationships and engaging youth in learning about, and ultimately becoming, members of the emergency services. There are thousands of local junior firefighter programs nationwide. The NVFC created one national program where departments can find the resources, tools, and information they need to develop and manage a program and where youth can find the information and resources to participate.

Have questions about the National Junior Firefighter program? Check out our FAQs or contact us.