CFA takes the time to celebrate the amazing contributions its youth members make to CFA.
CFA has more than 4,000 youth members ranging from 11 to 24 years old. Many of these members are, or started as, Junior member in one of our 162 Junior brigades.
This year’s theme for International Youth Day is 'Youth Engagement for Global Action' which aims to highlight the ways in which the engagement of young people is enriching institutions.
Youth Volunteer Programs Coordinator Nathan Linton said CFA’s youth members have achieved so much this year already.
“Today is a great opportunity to recognise the amazing contributions our youth members make," Nathan said.
“It's so important to make sure youth voices are heard. Our youth members have so much to give and it’s great to see them achieving their goals.”
CFA Deputy Chief Officer and Executive Director Volunteers and Capability Peter O’Keefe said this day is a great reminder to celebrate the achievements of our youth members
“From operational firefighters and support members to Junior leaders and Junior brigade members, CFA has a strong field of young people across the state.”
Australian Fire Cadet Championships (AFCC)
Twelve Juniors represented CFA at the AFCC in Sydney with CFA Team Zulu winning the Dave Templeton Award, which is awarded to the team that has demonstrated, through action and attitude, the qualities which best represent the Championships.
Young Volunteer Advisory Committee
Grady Tyson, a young volunteer from Tatura, is representing CFA volunteers on the Young Volunteer Advisory Committee for a 12-month research project being carried out by the University of Adelaide. This work aims to identify effective strategies for maintaining the mental health and wellbeing of young fire and emergency services volunteers.
North West Region Youth Voices Research Project
A project led by 10 young volunteers in the North West Region (NWR) with support from staff members Elaine Hamilton and Rebecca McDonald. The team asked ‘How can CFA better engage with young people to attract, retain, support and train them on their journey through CFA.’ The team is now working on a regional youth strategy.
The Youth Program team continues to work on important projects to support youths in CFA.
- Developing the Cadets Program Pilot for 16 and 17-year-old members
- JuniorsLIVE - online Juniors program for brigades during COVID-19
- Disability Inclusion Guide
- Junior Leaders Network Toolkit
- Junior Brigade Group Agreement Facilitation Guide
For more information about any of these topics or to access these resources go to the CFA Intranet page.
International Youth Day gives us the opportunity to share some of the great experiences our youth members have:
From Kinder to Captain
YouTube inspires Jack’s firefighting passion
Decades of juniors at Beazley’s Bridge Brigade
Junior program a success story for Eldorado
Youth focus for Warracknabeal