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

How old do you have to be to join as a Cadet?

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.

Will I be provided with a uniform?

Cadets wear a uniform and this will be provided free of charge to each young person.

Which days/times do the Cadets meet?

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.

What does it cost to be a Cadet?

The Cadet Scheme is free to all young people.

Will I gain qualifications as a Cadet?

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.

With the support of the Policing and Community Safety Partnership’s (PCSPs), we have created this video to teach school children in Northern Ireland how to keep themselves fire safe at home.

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.