I would like to start off by saying thank you to all the members of the Fair Lawn Rescue Youth Squad for their service and dedication. The commitment of all the members thus far has been outstanding. The countless hours that each of our members puts into the squad is highly regarded by all regular members and officers alike. We all hope that our members continue to express this same enthusiasm for their years to come as youth squad members and even more so once they graduate to become regular members.

I would also like to say thank you to the parents of all the members. None of us could have been as involved as we are if it wasn’t for the help of our parents. Every parent, at one time or another, has taken time out of their own busy schedules to drive us to calls or drills, and their service should be commended as well. They are the once who allow us to do what we do.

As youth members we respond to vehicle extrication’s, fires, haz-mat spills, police assists, and ambulance assists along with the rest of the squad. We are eligible to partake in almost every tast that a regular member would be able to do, with the exception of handling certain tools and placing ourselves within more specific dangerous situations. Even with the exceptions we still get very involved in the everyday operations of the Rescue Squad that all of us haven grown to enjoy.

There is also a hefty amount of training that we endure just as a regular member would. We are all required to take CPR (Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation), Blood Borne Pathogens, The Right to Know, and refresher courses from time to time. Most of our current members have taken and completed a Junior Fire Fighter course, Shelter Operations, Confined Space, and a Mass Decontamination course. In addition to these courses, we attend drills with the regular members two times a month and have one drill of our own each month. The numerous training courses and drilling sessions are all factors in the expansion of our knowledge in the field of emergency services.

On one final note, the members of our youth squad are constantly moving up and we are always looking for new members to fill up our 10-man roster. If you think that you have the ambition to become involved in the emergency services, have the good will to always want to help others, are looking to make many great friends, and are able to maintain at least a “C” average then come down to the Fair Lawn Rescue Squad on any Tuesday night between 7:00PM - 7:30PM for an application.

Sincerely,

Steven Milnes