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Junior Firefighters and Advisors Attend Academy at Scott Safety


 


 

Junior firefighters tackle the obstacle course at the National Junior Firefighter Academy.With the assistance of Scott Safety, a business unit within Tyco Fire Protection, the National Volunteer Fire Council (NVFC) recently conducted a training academy for junior firefighters that elevated the experience from a classroom exercise to real-life firefighting situations. The National Junior Firefighter Academy, which took place at Scott Safety headquarters in Monroe, North Carolina, included leadership and youth firefighter safety classes, a facility tour, lunch, hands-on product demonstrations and four training challenges. 

 

“This marks the first academy where we were able to incorporate training that simulated real-life firefighting situations,” says Rachel Buczynski, NVFC. “It was an eye-opening experience for the junior firefighters, and we look forward to teaming with Scott to conduct another academy in the future.” 

 

Conducted by the NVFC National Junior Firefighter Program (NJFP) in partnership with Tyco and Scott Safety, the academy drew 48 junior firefighters and 28 advisors from North Carolina, South Carolina and Massachusetts. 

 

Tyco provides financial support for the NJFP, which helps fire departments develop and manage local junior firefighter programs. These programs give young people the chance to learn about local fire departments and develop their interest in becoming the next generation of volunteer firefighters. 

 

In classroom sessions, junior firefighters covered topics such as youth leadership and career opportunities, while program advisors learned about serving as youth mentors and youth firefighter safety, among other subjects. 

 

The training challenges included negotiating an outdoor obstacle course wearing firefighter gear that included the Scott Air-Pak® SCBA (self-contained breathing apparatus) and using Scott thermal imaging equipment to locate items in a simulated smoke-filled room. 

 

“The academy provided us a great opportunity to support the volunteer firefighting community,” says Jeff Emery, marketing manager, Scott Safety, “by cultivating a passion for the fire service and developing the leadership skills for the next generation of firefighters.” 

 

Eleven Scott Safety employees – including three volunteer firefighters – participated in the academy as volunteers. 

 

“The enthusiasm and involvement of the Scott team members was amazing,” says Buczynski. “They – along with other local volunteers – played a critical role in fostering the interaction between the junior firefighters, program advisors and instructors representing different fire departments. It was great to see people sharing so many ideas.”