YOUNG FIREFIGHTERS SCHEME

Throughout the country Fire and Rescue Services are offering training and development to young people. The level of training is varied with some services running one week courses in the school holidays to others offering a full 5 year once weekly programme of development. Guidance and support is provided by the Fire Services Youth Training Association www.fsyta.org, who along with EDEXCEL have developed the BTEC Intermediate Award in Basic Firefighting Skills.

In 1997 South Yorkshire Fire & Rescue Service (SYFRS) www.syfire.gov.uk adopted the Young Firefighter Scheme (YFS) by opening it first branch at Darnall Road Fire Station in Sheffield. During the next five years four more branches were opened at Barnsley, Rotherham, Adwick & Mansfield Road in Sheffield. In the summer of 2001 SYFRS opened it's third Sheffield branch at Elm Lane Fire Station to bring the total number to six in South Yorkshire. All the branches are based at operational fire stations to take advantage of the training equipment, facilites and amenities already on site.

In South Yorkshire all branches hold a two-and-a-half hour Drill Night once a week from 18:30 to 21:00 hours. A branch consists of an Officer-In-Charge (OIC), at least 2 other Instructors and 20 Young Firefighter Members. The OIC is an employee of SYFRS and is usually a uniformed officer. The other instructors are a mixture of fire service employees and civilians.

Each branch is run in a similar way to a fire station. The 20 Young Firefighters are split in to 4 watches: Red, White, Green & Blue. Each watch consists of 1 Leading Young Firefighter (LYFf) and 4 Young Firefighters (YFf).

THE OBJECTIVES OF THE SCHEME

The main objective of the scheme is to provide young people with the opportunity to:-

Develop both mentally and physically irrespective of ability.

Promote fair and equal opportunites for all potential and existing members.

Foster the spirit of adventure in the development of leadership and team working skills.

Promote the spirit of community cohesion through the sense of "well being" in its members.

Enhance the Fire Services' role as a genuine organisation working and caring for young people.

Promote the Fire Service and increase community fire safety.