Jr. Volunteer Firefighter Rules
Young adults and teenagers have been providing fire protection since volunteer firefighting formally began. Today, many volunteer fire departments offer junior or cadet firefighter programs with the hope of recruiting loyal, long-lasting volunteers, who will benefit their communities and enrich the lives of the junior firefighters. However, a number of state and federal laws have been enacted over the years to ensure the safety of the youth involved in junior volunteer firefighter programs.
Other People Are Reading
-
Jr. Volunteer Firefighters Support Sr. Firefighters
-
The City of Ontario, Oregon Fire and Rescue Department offers a training program for young men and women ages 16 to 18. Junior volunteer firefighters support senior firefighters during real emergencies. To prepare, they attend monthly training drills overseen by the Ontario Fire and Rescue Department officer with the rest of the department. Once they complete the program, graduates are eligible to become active firefighters.
What Junior Volunteer Firefighters are Allowed to Do
-
In Maine, state child labor laws govern junior volunteer firefighter programs. Under those laws, minors ages 16 and 17 may ride as a passenger in the cab of a firetruck or in an emergency vehicle, attend and take part in supervised training, retrieve hoses and clean up at a fire scene once it has been declared safe by the incident commander, perform search and rescue activities and use pressurized hose lines if properly trained while under the supervision of an incident commander and out of a danger area.
-
What Junior Firefighters are Not Allowed to Do
-
According to Maine child labor laws, minors ages 16 and 17 may not attempt to suppress fires involving structures or vehicles, drive emergency vehicles, participate in or assist with any extrication at the scene of an emergency, directly participate in ice rescues, nor direct traffic at the scene of a fire or other emergency
Volunteer Time is Limited
-
Meanwhile, the federal Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) restricts the time a minor is allowed to volunteer as a junior firefighter. According to FLSA, minors 16 and older may work unlimited hours, but they may not engage in hazardous activities. However, the act restricts work hours for minors 16 and younger to between 7 a.m. and 7 p.m. during the school year and between 7 a.m. and 9 p.m. during summer vacations. The maximum number of hours minors under 16 can volunteer are three hours on school days, 18 hours in any given school week, 40 hours during a week in which there is no school and eight hours on days upon which there is no school. Minors under 16 must not work more than six days in a row, no matter what time of year.
-
References
Resources
- Photo Credit Photos.com/Photos.com/Getty Images
