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 allowed to make mistakes.
We have several schemes that engage with young people.

Cadets
Our Cadet Scheme provides a varied and interesting programme of activities for a diverse group of young people aged between 14 and 17. It raises awareness of Fire & Rescue Service activities; and nurtures teamwork, communication and confidence that will help them navigate life.
We invest in our young people by giving them an opportunity to develop personal and professional skills while making lifelong friends and having fun.
We have 4 Cadet Branches – Belfast, Bangor, Lisburn, and Newry. Our Cadets are mentored by our Firefighters, Support Staff and Civilian Leaders who give up their free time to provide invaluable expertise and experience.
Our Cadets take part in a range of activities including:
- Basic firefighting skills
- Road Traffic Collision skills
- Teamwork
- Leadership
- First Aid

Recruitment for the September 2023 intake for the Cadet Scheme is now closed for all Cadet Branches.
FAQs
The Cadets are for young people aged 14 to 17 years old. The young person should be beginning Year 11 the September of joining the Cadets.
Cadets wear a uniform and this 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.
CUBE
CUBE is a NIFRS Youth Engagement Programme aimed at 14 to 17 year olds. The programme aims to change behaviours through education.
As a CUBE has six sides, there are six elements to this programme:
- Change
- Understanding
- Behaviour
- Education
- Life Skills
- Personal Development
CUBE is a 2-day scheme, organised in conjunction with the Education Authority, and is led by Firefighters. The overall focus of the programme is to reduce hoax calls, attacks on firefighters and deliberate fires.

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.

Schools Programmes
Our Safety Team programme is for Primary 5 school children, 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 P5 class across Northern Ireland.
Frances the Firefly is a programme for 3 – 6 year old children.

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.
