Empowering our young people
We are passionate about engaging with young people. We promote an environment where young people are empowered to lead, guided to contribute, and make mistakes in a safe environment.
Cadets
The Cadet programme inspires and equips young people by developing transferable, practical skills for future training or employment. It provides a programme of activities for young people aged 14 to 17. It raises awareness of Fire & Rescue Service activities; and nurtures teamwork, communication skills, leadership and confidence.
We invest in our young people providing them with the opportunity to develop real-world skills while making lifelong friends and having fun.
We have 4 Cadet Branches – Bangor, Belfast, Lisburn and Newry. Our Cadets meet for 2 hours in the evening per week during school term times and are mentored by our Cadet Leaders who volunteer their time to provide invaluable expertise and experience. We are currently recruiting for Cadet Leaders.
Our Cadets take part in a wide range of activities including:
- Basic firefighting such as hose running, climbing ladders and tying knots.
- Road Traffic Collision scenarios such as cutting up cars.
- Fundraising events contributing to our local community.
- First Aid.
The Cadet Scheme operates in line with the behaviours and values of Northern Ireland Fire & Rescue Service. NIFRS is a uniformed, disciplined organisation and our Cadets are expected to follow commands and the Code of Conduct developed at each Cadet Branch. This Code sets out the ground rules regarding behaviour which all Cadets must sign up to and includes being punctual to Cadet nights, being respectful to each other and Leaders, and a zero tolerance of bullying.
Recruitment for our September 2024 Cadet Scheme has now closed.
FAQs
The young person should be beginning Year 11 the September of joining the Cadets and should be aged 14/15.
Young people attend Cadets wearing their uniform and this uniform will be provided free of charge to each young person.
Each Cadet Branch meets on different evenings:
Bangor Fire Station – Monday evening
Westland (Belfast) Fire Station – Wednesday evening
Lisburn Fire Station – Tuesday evening
Newry Fire Station – Wednesday evening
Generally, each evening is two hours long.
The Cadet Scheme generally follows the school year and operates approximately 32 weeks a year.
The Cadet Scheme is free to all young people.
Cadets complete the national Fire Cadet Award 1, 2 and 3. These awards may be cross mapped to equivalent B-Tec qualifications if required (a fee will apply as this is completed by an external body).
Cadets also gain a First Aid qualification.
Safety Team Schools Programmes
Our Safety Team Schools Programme is for Primary 5 school children. The programme is designed to teach them the dangers of fire and how to make their home safer.
Each year our Firefighters aim to deliver this programme face to face with every Primary 5 class across Northern Ireland.
If you would like to educate 3 – 6 year old children on the dangers associated with fire you can access the Frances the Firefly resource.
Primary School Fire Safety Video
Fire Safety Intervention Programme
We recognise that fires started by children and young people, in or outside the home, are a serious cause for concern. Whatever the reason, fire setting behaviour should never be ignored.
Every fire has the potential to result in unforeseen consequences, including serious injuries, loss of life and property.
This free and confidential programme is designed to address this risk and offer support by working in partnership with the young people, parents, carers and supporting agencies.
This programme is primarily designed for children and young people under the age of 18 to help address fire setting behaviour. However, the programme is also available to adults and will be assessed on a case-by-case basis.
We accept referrals from parents, carers, schools, youth support, Social Services, PSNI and other professionals. However, to work with a child or young person, we first require consent from their parent or carer.
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- Lighters or matches in the child or young person’s room or belongings.
- Unexplained fires in the home.
- Unexplained burn marks on carpets or clothing.
- Charred paper or melted objects in bins.
- The smell of smoke on the child or young person’s clothing.
- A fascination with fire.
If you are worried about a child or young person who is setting fires, email us at [email protected] for advice and support.
Your Choice
Your Choice is our free immersive educational programme for 16-24 year olds. It allows users to experience a road traffic collision through the use of virtual reality (VR) technology. It highlights to young drivers the dangers on our roads and what can happen if things go wrong.
The Prince’s Trust
We partner with The Prince’s Trust on the ‘Get Started’ initiative.
‘Get Started with the Fire Service’ works with young people aged 16 to 24 years old across Northern Ireland who are not currently in education, employment or training. It aims to develop a range of skills such as teamwork and leadership, as well as familiarising the young people with the range of employment opportunities within NIFRS. The course lasts for 5 days.