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The German Youth Fire Brigade ( DJF ) is in place to promote an interest in German fire brigades and train young people in preparation for joining. Depending on the German state, the exact name of the programme varies.
The uniform of the youth fire brigade in Germany consists of appropriate footwear, youth fire brigade branded trousers, youth fire brigade branded shirts, a helmet, and cut resistant plastic gloves. Many youth fire brigades provide additional weather-proof youth fire brigade branded raincoats, and safety shoes/safety boots at their own expense. The jackets are blue with orange on the shoulders, and a reflective strip across the back. The trousers are blue with reflective stripes.
History
Foundation
The first youth fire brigade in Germany was established in 1882 in Oevenum on the island ofFöhr
Föhr ( ''Fering'' North Frisian: ''Feer''; da, Før) is one of the North Frisian Islands on the German coast of the North Sea. It is part of the Nordfriesland district in the federal state of Schleswig-Holstein. Föhr is the second-largest No ...
, making it probably the oldest in Europe
Europe is a large peninsula conventionally considered a continent in its own right because of its great physical size and the weight of its history and traditions. Europe is also considered a subcontinent of Eurasia and it is located entirel ...
. Due to many of the men working mostly at sea, the fire safety of the island was made the responsibility of the youth fire brigade. The first youth fire brigade in accordance with the modern model is the youth fire brigade based at Niebüll
Niebüll ( Mooring North Frisian: ''Naibel''; da, Nibøl) is a town in the district of Nordfriesland, in Schleswig-Holstein, Germany. It is situated near the North Sea coast and the border with Denmark, approx. 35 km northwest of Husum.
Inte ...
, founded in 1953. During the Third Reich youth fire brigades were reorganized during the course of the Gleichschaltung as Hitler Youth
The Hitler Youth (german: Hitlerjugend , often abbreviated as HJ, ) was the youth organisation of the Nazi Party in Germany. Its origins date back to 1922 and it received the name ("Hitler Youth, League of German Worker Youth") in July 1926. ...
fire brigades. The German Youth Fire Brigade (DJF) was founded in 1964 in Berlin.
By the " Youth Law of the GDR" on 4 May 1964 working groups
A working group, or working party, is a group of experts working together to achieve specified goals. The groups are domain-specific and focus on discussion or activity around a specific subject area. The term can sometimes refer to an interdis ...
named "Young Fire Protection Helpers" were created in the GDR. Children in these groups were taught outside of school about the basics of fire safety, preventative fire protection, firefighting, and first aid. The working groups were generally headed by members of the volunteer fire brigade. After German reunification, the working groups were reorganized as "youth fire brigades".
Education
Youth Fire Brigades usually meet weekly for training. The training includes basic activities that are carried out by the fire service as well as training to improve dexterity, agility, and overall fitness, as well as improving the general knowledge of members. Youth firefighters are trained by experienced firefighters. Most of them are in leading ranks. Activities outside of the fire brigade are undertaken in many youth fire brigades. For example, camping, visits to cinemas, and sports such as soccer can be carried out. These help to promote a sense of camaraderie within the youth fire brigade.Uniform
The uniform of the youth fire brigade in Germany consists of appropriate footwear, youth fire brigade branded trousers, youth fire brigade branded shirts, a helmet, and cut resistant plastic gloves. Many youth fire brigades provide additional weather-proof youth fire brigade branded raincoats, and safety shoes/safety boots at their own expense. The jackets are blue with orange on the shoulders, and a reflective strip across the back. The trousers are blue with reflective stripes.
See also
* Jeugdbrandweer *Junior firefighter
Junior firefighting is a youth activity mostly organized by fire departments. It serves as a means of personal development for the youths, as well as a recruiting pool for the fire departments.
Junior firefighter programs give young people the ch ...
References
{{Reflist, 3 Firefighter training Youth organisations based in Germany