About Our Program
Real fire training for high school students • Ages 14+ • Board-Governed Nonprofit
Our Foundation
Plaistow Junior Firefighters was incorporated as a nonprofit in October 2025. We are organized, governed by a board, and built to last.
Officially Incorporated
New Hampshire State Corporation
Business ID: #1007936
October 27, 2025
501(c)(3) Nonprofit
Federal tax-exempt status
Educational Purpose
Youth development focus
Board Governed
Professional oversight and accountability
5-Member Board
Fire service leadership
Standards Aligned
Built on nationally recognized standards
NHFSTC / NFPA / NVFC
The real curriculum
Our Mission
We train high school students in real firefighting skills, no prior experience required. Our goal is to give every student a strong foundation, build them into part of a crew, and help them figure out whether the fire service is the right path for them. We do not make promises we cannot keep. We do the work.
Our Vision
A youth fire training program where students leave better prepared, more confident, and more connected to their community than when they arrived. We want this to be the kind of program that students talk about for years after they graduate, because it was real, it was hard, and it mattered.
Program Structure & Partnerships
Independent nonprofit program with strong community partnerships
Independent Nonprofit
Plaistow Junior Firefighters operates as an independent 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization with its own board of directors, bylaws, and governance structure. The program maintains full autonomy in curriculum development, instructor selection, and operational decisions.
Hosted by Plaistow Fire Department
The program is hosted by the Plaistow Fire Department, which provides access to training facilities, fire apparatus, and equipment. Students train in the same station, on the same rigs, used by the active department. This partnership enables hands-on training that no classroom can replicate.
Timberlane ELO Partnership
Students enrolled at Timberlane Regional High School can earn Extended Learning Opportunity (ELO) credits toward graduation requirements through their participation in this program. Ask about ELO at orientation on August 30th.
Program Independence
While Plaistow Junior Firefighters uses Plaistow Fire Department facilities and equipment, the program operates independently as a separate nonprofit organization. The program is not operated by or under the direct supervision of the Plaistow Fire Department. All program operations, curriculum decisions, and governance are managed by the Plaistow Junior Firefighters Board of Directors.
What We Build On
Our curriculum is built on the same material taught at the NH Fire Academy. This is not a certification program, but the content is the real thing.
NFPA 1001
Our curriculum aligns to NFPA 1001, the Standard for Firefighter Professional Qualifications. That is the same standard used for state Firefighter I certification. We teach to that standard; we do not certify to it.
NHFSTC Curriculum
We follow the NH Fire Standards and Training Commission approved Firefighter I curriculum, the same program taught at the NH Fire Academy. Our lead instructor holds the NH State Fire Instructor credential required to teach at that level.
NVFC Core Competencies
We develop National Volunteer Fire Council core competencies across youth development, leadership, teamwork, and technical skills. These are the habits and skills that transfer into any fire service role.
What the Program Looks Like
Real Hands-On Training
- • Hands-on skills in the apparatus bay every session
- • Gear, SCBA, hose, ladders, and tools students actually use
- • Evolutions run to NH Fire Academy skill-sheet standards
- • Custom training portal for schedule, attendance, and progress
Topic Areas Covered
- • Safety, PPE, and SCBA
- • Fire behavior and building construction
- • Ropes, tools, ladders, forcible entry
- • Search, rescue, ventilation, and survival
- • Hose operations and fire attack
Recurring Skills Drills
- • SCBA donning and air management (repeated throughout the year)
- • Ground ladder throws, including solo throws
- • Hose deployment, repacking, and advancing
- • Search patterns under air
- • Forcible entry and radio communications
Instruction & Culture
- • Lead instructor holds Fire Instructor I, II, and NH State Fire Instructor credentials
- • Certified firefighter guest instructors throughout the year
- • Station chores, crew meals, and community service built in
- • Rank system: Probationary Junior, Junior Firefighter, Junior Officer
- • ELO credit available for Timberlane students
Our Community Impact
Youth Development
Developing responsible young people through real training, leadership opportunities, community service, and the culture of a working firehouse.
Emergency Preparedness
Students who complete this program know how to move in an emergency, how to work as part of a team, and what fire behavior actually looks like. That knowledge stays with them.
Fire Service Pipeline
Students who complete this program leave with a foundation that gives them a real head start if they choose to pursue fire service careers. Several PJFF students have gone on to become career firefighters.