Suffolk County Executive Ed Romaine and Suffolk County officials recently congratulated 20 local students who completed the Suffolk County Fire Academy’s Junior Firefighter Program.
The graduates, who serve as junior members for their local volunteer fire departments, completed the New York State Basic Exterior Fire Operations program that will give them a head start to fulfill the requirements to become an active firefighter once they reach the required age.
“Suffolk County is proud to revitalize the Junior Firefighter Program as we focus on creating new recruitment and retention initiatives within the local fire service,” said County Executive Romaine. “By engaging our young people and junior firefighters, we will ensure that our first responder agencies will have the necessary resources to serve our communities for years to come.”
The Junior Firefighter Program started at the end of August 2024. Students met with instructors from the Suffolk County Fire Academy and Department of Fire, Rescue and Emergency Services for 15 weeks to learn about various firefighting topics, including building construction, fire dynamics and fire suppression.