Plainview FD Joins Forces with POB School District and Nassau County
Fire Service Academy to Launch New Firefighter Cadet Program
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PFD ‘Restrictive Active Member Cadet’ Program Provides Earlier Access to
Firefighting and EMS Training to High School Students
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New Program is a Novel Approach to Confronting Challenges of Volunteer Recruitment
(Plainview – March 13th) The Plainview Volunteer Fire Department (PFD) this evening officially
launched a new program to give high school students the opportunity to begin Firefighter 1 and
Emergency Medical Technician training starting at age 16. The Restrictive Active Member (RAM) Cadet
program will prepare these young firefighters to be full-fledged, riding members of the PFD at age 17,
while still in High School. Previously, PFD Junior members had to wait until age 17 to begin Firefighter
training at the Nassau County Fire Service Academy. In partnership with the Plainview-Old Bethpage
School District, the new PFD RAM Cadet program also provides the opportunity for Cadets to complete
their New York State Emergency Medical Technician certification as a credited class at the POB’s John F.
Kennedy High School by age 17.
The Plainview FD Junior Firefighter program has seen a spike in membership in the last couple of years –
but to date, Junior Firefighters have not been allowed to take Firefighter 1 basic training at the Fire
Academy until age 17. The PFD hopes this new program, which begins at age 16, will provide a cadre of
Cadets who will ride as firefighters and EMTs as they complete High School and hopefully stay active in
the PFD into their college careers, having completed all their basic training while still in High School.
This program is designed with a heavy focus on education in the fire sciences and the Emergency
Medical field and continuing education in college. The program was created with goal of having highly
trained Firefighter1/EMTs ready to serve their communities by mutual aid to communities in colleges
they attend or at home where they are going to a local college. If the child moves on after college and
does not come back to Plainview, they will live somewhere, and that community could have a volunteer
fire department, and when they settle, they can join and pay it back.
The first group of Plainview Fire Department Restrictive Active Member Cadets will take their oath of
membership Monday evening at 8:00 PM at Plainview Fire Department Headquarters, 885 Old
Country Road, Plainview.

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Press release-Cadet Program Launch