How Much of a Time Commitment is being a Fire Explorer

[AnthonyW]

Hey, I'm 16 and very interested in being a firefighter as a career. I'm looking in to the fire explorers but right now I have football so I dont have any time to put into it whatsoever. After football season I'd like to do it, but I'm going to find a job and also train for a boxing match a few times a week. From the looks on my city's department website it seems like its something that meets a few times a month, but on here it sort of seems like as much of a time commitment as football. Anyways generally how much time do most explorers spend at the firehouse?

[CaptOldTimer]

Hey, I'm 16 and very interested in being a firefighter as a career. I'm looking in to the fire explorers but right now I have football so I dont have any time to put into it whatsoever. After football season I'd like to do it, but I'm going to find a job and also train for a boxing match a few times a week. From the looks on my city's department website it seems like its something that meets a few times a month, but on here it sort of seems like as much of a time commitment as football. Anyways generally how much time do most explorers spend at the firehouse?

Contact the fire department in which you looked at the web site.

Talk to the person in charge of the Explorer program. Get some insight from them. They are best qualified to answer your questions.

[nmfire]

All the explorer/junior programs operate differently. Some meet more or less than others. You have talk to the one you're interested in joining.

[Natatha]

Hey, I'm 16 and very interested in being a firefighter as a career. I'm looking in to the fire explorers but right now I have football so I dont have any time to put into it whatsoever. After football season I'd like to do it, but I'm going to find a job and also train for a boxing match a few times a week. From the looks on my city's department website it seems like its something that meets a few times a month, but on here it sort of seems like as much of a time commitment as football. Anyways generally how much time do most explorers spend at the firehouse?

As has already been stated, it's dependant on your individual department.

However, just as an example..

The Altoona Fire Department's Explorer Post meets all but the third Tuesday of the month (EMS training week). We meet for an hour, 6PM-7PM before the firefighter training at 7PM. Explorers are only asked to be at the explorer training, and can then leave after. However, if we want, we are allowed to stay for the Firefighter's training as well.

We aren't able to do anything during that training, besides observe, but many of the firefighters here will tell you that that is often the best training if you aren't able to actually do it yourself.

Apart from the weekly training, explorers can respond to the station for a call; but only to help with base radio operations, or relaying hose, washing trucks, or any other after operation things that need to be done.

It isn't REQUIRED that you be there, since school/family should come first. However, we ask that you be there whenever you can.

Though, as stated previously in this thread, all departments are going to be different. I've seen some that require explorers to be there every meeting, and some that just don't care. It's all different.