Monroe adds some junior firefighters to its mix

MONROE — The town’s volunteer fire department has added six junior firefighters to its ranks.

A post on the Monroe Volunteer Fire Department web site explained that the juniors are high school students who “who learn the basics under the supervision of our experienced firefighters.” According to the Monroe Volunteer Fire Department web site, juniors are usually 16 and 17 years old and many become probationary firefighters within the department once they turn 18.

Many of the department’s current volunteers first entered the service as junior member.

At the station, duties of the Juniors include cleaning of the trucks,equipment and buildings. At emergency scenes, duties are limited to exterior operations, including retrieving tools from the firetruck, setting up scene lighting, advancing hose lines, replacing air bottles, and scene clean up.

The Facebook post states that, on Tuesday night, the junior firefighters practiced hose stretches using the department’s prop device. Juniors wear distinctive blue helmets to differentiate their qualification level.

“Glad to see a motivated group of young people spending their summer productively,” the post reads.

The volunteer fire department has served the town since 1923.

from News https://www.ctpost.com/local/article/Monroe-adds-some-junior-firefighters-to-its-mix-14270700.php