NIOSH Urges Fire Service to Protect Junior Firefighters

A new safety and health advisory issued by NIOSH outlines considerations for fire departments with junior firefighter programs, which involve adolescents ranging in age from 14 to 17. Most state laws only allow junior firefighters to participate in training and to perform support work, but other states allow them to participate in additional activities like live fire training alongside their adult counterparts, the agency explains. NIOSH stresses that live fire training presents an environment with a higher potential for injury among junior firefighters.

The recently released advisory describes actions fire departments can take to help protect younger firefighters, who require safety and health considerations beyond those for adults. According to NIOSH, junior firefighters may not fully interpret risks in the workplace, and they may not understand their physical limitations while working in personal protective equipment. These and other factors, such as junior firefighters’ lesser experience, increase the need for additional considerations for this group.

NIOSH urges fire departments to refer to child labor laws to learn which activities junior firefighters are permitted to do in their states and to update their standard operating procedures to reflect the laws’ requirements. Junior firefighters should be provided with properly fitting PPE and be trained in its use, care, and limitations. Due to the occupation’s risk of exposure to stress and traumatic events, NIOSH also suggests that fire departments develop mentor- and peer-support mechanisms for younger firefighters.

The full advisory is available for download from the NIOSH website.

Related: An article published in the April 2024 Synergist focuses on protecting wildland firefighters in extreme environments, and an article in the June/July 2023 issue discusses the National Firefighter Registry for Cancer, an effort to understand and reduce cancer in firefighters.