Governing Rules of the Junior Brigade of

West Reading Fire Company #1

The Junior Brigade of the West Reading Fire Company #1, hereafter called "Juniors," shall serve as an auxiliary of the West Reading Fire Company #1, hereafter called the "Company."

The Juniors shall consist of persons between the ages of 14 and 17 years (inclusive). Any Junior wishing to become an active firefighter may make application to the Company one month prior to his/her 18th birthday.

Requirements for Application to the Juniors:

1. Properly completed application form. Form must be signed by a parent or guardian, or else the applicant will not be considered.

2. All necessary working papers as may be required by law, regardless of current or previous employer.

3. All applicants will be interviewed by the Fire Chief at the time of application.

4. Applicants still in school must have passing grades or better and must maintain these grades even after membership has been approved.

Requirements for Active Membership:

1. The Junior will attend all scheduled drills, training sessions, work details, or special drills that may arise, except as excluded by law. If the Junior cannot attend, he/she will notify an officer of the Company explaining the reason for absence.

2. The Junior will sign in 15 minutes prior to the start of scheduled drills, or on arrival to unscheduled drills or work details. The Junior will sign out before leaving and go directly home or to a place designated by his/her parent or guardian.

3. The Junior will respond to all fire and emergency calls, where possible, with exception of calls between the hours of 11:00 p.m. and 7:00 a.m. and during school hours. Requests for attendance at incidents during school hours will be made to the principal by the officer in charge. No Junior shall leave school without official permission. Whenever possible, the Junior will respond to the engine house and go to the incident on the designated apparatus. When at the incident or when responding directly to the incident, the Junior will report to Squad 64, or, in its absence, Truck 64, and will remain there until directed by a Fire Line Officer or his delegate.

4. The Junior will be expected to obey all orders and requests of the Fire Line Officers while at drills or training sessions, and at fire or emergency incidents, and the orders or requests of the Business Manager while at the engine house for other than training. The Junior will not be required to obey the orders of other Firefighters unless that order originated from an officer.

5. Juniors will be allowed leisure time at the engine house as follows:

   1. High school students will be restricted to one night per week during the school year, leaving the engine house no later then 10:00 p.m. Sunday through Thursday, and no later than 11:00 p.m. Friday and Saturday.

   2. During summer vacation and non-school days, the Junior will be allowed three nights per week, leaving the engine house no later than 11:00 p.m.

6. Any Junior who does not maintain school grades at or above a passing level will not be allowed to attend any company functions until such time as those grades are brought back to or above a passing level.

7. Juniors will not be allowed to use loud, abusive or obscene language.

8. Juniors will not be allowed to indulge in any intoxicating beverage.

9. Juniors will not be allowed to use, sell, or distribute any drugs considered by law to be illegal.

10. All Juniors will treat Company property with care and sound judgement.

11. Juniors, being an auxiliary of the Company, shall conduct themselves accordingly at all times so as not to bring disgrace or censure to the Company.

Limitations of Membership

1. Juniors, when driving to emergency calls or to the engine house, will not be allowed to use blue lights, and will obey all traffic laws.

2. Juniors will ride Squad 64 whenever possible, or in the hose bed of Engine 64. No Junior will ride on the tailboard, in the jumpseats, or in the cab of any apparatus without the permission of a Fire Line Officer and then only in full turnout gear and accompanied by a Senior Firefighter when on the tailboard or in the jumpseats.

3. No Junior will be allowed to enter a fire scene structure until the Fire Line Officer has declared the fire out and the structure safe to enter, and then only with the permission of a Fire Line Officer and accompanied by a Senior Firefighter.

4. Juniors will not be issued the door code to access the engine house.

5. Juniors will not be granted bunk room privileges.

6. Juniors may, but are not required to, attend Company meetings. However, they will not have voting privileges and may only speak through the Junior Brigade Advisory Board.

All Juniors will obey the Governing Rules and, where necessary, the Constitution and By-Laws of the West Reading Fire Company #1.

All laws mandated by the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania Act of May 13, 1915, P.L. 286, #177, known as the "Child Labor Law" and all of its updates, amendments and revisions will be heeded at all times. (See below.)

(From the "Child Labor Law", copied verbatim:)

JUNIOR VOLUNTEER FIREFIGHTERS

I. Minors Under 16 Under The Child Labor Laws

Junior volunteer firefighters under 16 are restricted by law to the following activities:

1. first-aid.

2. clean-up service at the scene of a fire, but only outside the structure and only after the fire has been declared under control by the fire official in charge.

3. providing coffee wagon and food services.

4. engaging in training.

Junior firefighters under 16 are specifically prohibited by law from the following:

1. operating an aerial ladder, or platform, or hydraulic jack.

2. using rubber electrical gloves, insulated wire gloves, insulated wirecutters, lifenets or acetylene cutting units.

3. operating the pumps of any fire vehicle at the scene of a fire.

4. driving a firetruck, ambulance or other official fire vehicle.

5. entering a burning structure.

6. operating high-pressure hose lines except during training.

7. ascending ladders except during training.

Junior firefighters under 16 are prohibited from engaging in fire company activities while school is in session and between 7 P.M. and 7 A.M. (10 P.M. and 7 A.M. during school summer vacation). Junior firefighters under 16 may, however, attend firefighting classes as part of a training program even after 7 P.M. during the school year.

II. 16- and 17-Year-Old Minors

16- and 17-year-old minors who have completed a fire training course (such as one given at a county fire school) may participate in firefighting activities if they are under the direct supervision of the fire chief or an experienced line officer.

16- and 17-year-old junior firefighters are still prohibited however, from any of the following activities by law:

1. operating an aerial ladder, or platform, or a hydraulic jack.

2. using rubber electrical gloves, insulated wire gloves, insulated wirecutters, lifenets or acetylene cutting torches.

3. operating the pumps of any fire vehicle at the scene of a fire.

4. driving a firetruck, ambulance or any other official fire vehicle.

5. entering a burning structure.

16- and 17-year-olds are normally prohibited from serving as firefighters between the hours of 12 midnight and 6 A.M. (1 A.M. and 6 A.M. on Friday and Saturday nights during school term vacations, but no night restriction during summer vacations). 16- and 17-year old firefighters who answer a call before the 12 or 1 o'clock deadline may continue to respond to that call past that deadline. Such volunteers may not answer any new calls after 12 or 1 o'clock.

III. Employment Certificates

All junior firefighters must obtain an employment certificate in order to participate as members of a volunteer fire company. Such certificates may be obtained through the junior firefighters' local school district.

IV. High School Graduates

Individuals 17 or over who have graduated from high school are no longer considered minors under the Child Labor Law. Therefore, 17-year-old junior firefighters who are high school graduates are not subject to any of the above restrictions. This exemption also applies to those 17-year-olds who have been declared by the chief school administrator to have achieved their academic potential.

V. Workers' Compensation

Minor volunteer firefighters are eligible for workers' compensation if injured while actively engaged as firefighters or while going to or returning from a fire. However, in the case of fund-raising events, junior firefighters are only eligible for workers' compensation if the local municipality specifically authorized them, through an ordinance, to engage in fund-raising activities.

Address inquiries, complaints or requests for additional copies of this poster, to one of the offices of the Bureau of Labor Standards as listed: