JUNIOR MEMBERSHIP

What is a junior firefighter? Juniors are a very important part of our organization. Here
at Manheim, we allow high school students to join at the age of 16, with parents'
permission. Imagining your teenager running into burning buildings and hanging from the
roof by a rope? Sorry, that doesn't happen. Juniors are limited to what actions they
can perform due to labor laws and their lack of fire service training. The junior program
is one designed to start a young firefighter's training to prepare them for certification
once they turn 18, almost like an internship or apprentice program. We allow juniors to
assist at the firehouse and in a support capacity at fire scenes. That doesn't mean
they can't do anything at all. We depend on juniors to support the certified
firefighters, whether it's shuttling equipment from the fire engine to where it's needed
at the scene, setting up water supply, or helping to clean up after a fire so we are
ready to respond to another call. Currently, 3 of our chiefs and 1 of our lieutenants
started as junior firefighters. Over the years, many of our juniors have moved on to
careers in public service, including 4 police officers, 3 paramedics, and 1 career
firefighter.
 

Some of the benefits of being a junior include:

Learning about teamwork
Learning about personal and group responsibility
Functioning with a diverse group of people from all walks of life and age groups
Starting preliminary training to prepare for firefighter certification
Learning life skills such as CPR and using fire extinguishers
Applying volunteer experience to school required senior projects
Knowing that you have helped someone in their time of need and
made a difference in their lives

Additionally, college bound juniors may be able to gain a discount on room and board.
Many colleges, particularly Pa state universities, are either covered by or close to
volunteer fire stations with live in programs. These firehouses allow firefighters to live
for free, in exchange for participating in firefighting activities. There are usually only
limited positions and most departments will give preference to students with previous
firefighting experience. This can add up to considerable savings for students and
parents.

We put a strong priority on school. We encourage juniors to be as active as they
want, however we require them to submit copies of report cards to the officer in
charge of the junior program. Any student not maintaining acceptable grades will be
suspended from all activities until they improve. We also do not let them carry pagers
at school or respond to fire calls during school hours. We follow all state regulations
with child labor and driving laws, prohibiting late night responses.

Rest assured that junior firefighters are treated just as any other firefighter, but their
safety is paramount. Junior firefighters are easily distinguishable with obvious markings,
such as "safety orange" colored helmets. They are not permitted to be in any area
that is considered dangerous, nor are they allowed to operate any heavy machinery
such as chainsaws or hydraulic tools.

If you are a student, or the parent of one, and interested in joining the fire
department, please contact us at the email or phone number provided. Better yet,
stop in. We have company training every Monday night and are always available to
give you a tour and discuss membership with you. We are always accepting
applications for junior and adult members, and the rewards are worth the commitment.