Expanded youth firefighter
program OK’d by council
SOUTH RIVER — Teen-agers interested in becoming volunteer firefighters will now have a chance at some hands-on training.
Last week, five of the volunteer cadets attended the council meeting, along with Fire Chief Ron Krusius, in support of the measure to allow for a junior firefighter program.
The council approved the measure in a unanimous vote.
The borough already has an ordinance in place allowing for fire cadets between the ages of 14 and 17.
With the new program, however, older youths will be in training to become actual firefighters within two years.
"Hopefully, we can get a lot more people to join up," said Councilman Tony Ciulla, a former fire chief.
The program will be coordinated and supervised by members of the South River Fire Department.
Under the new measure, teens between the ages of 16 and 17 qualify for the program.
There are several requirements that youths must meet to be accepted into the program.
In order to become a junior firefighter, youths must have the written consent of a parent or guardian. They must also maintain at least a C-plus average in school for each marking period.
The junior firefighters will be able to respond to the firehouse during school days until 9 p.m. and on the weekends and during summer vacation until 11 p.m. with parental permission.
Also, the youths will be trained on how to dispatch a truck and the fundamentals of fire fighting.
As a junior firefighter, youths will be restricted at fire scenes, will not be allowed to respond to the firehouse during school hours, ride on a fire apparatus without a seat belt, be in the firehouse without a junior firefighter adviser present, or place themselves in a dangerous situation.
The youths will be considered members of the squad and will qualify to become regular members of the squad once they turn 18, if they choose.
Ciulla said the council will also be sending a letter to the Board of Education to set up a date to attend South River High School to solicit new recruits.