In mid-August of 2024, a group of junior firefighters from Nassau County in New York headed to Germany for the adventure of a lifetime. The 30 juniors and their chaperones were greeted with American and German flags displayed by juniors and firefighters from Lower Saxony, Germany, which borders on the North Sea. A week of training, learning, sharing and even some fun was to follow. How did this all come about? It all started at the 2016 Interschutz Fire Expo in Hannover, Germany.
A junior advisor and member of the Haverlah Fire Department in Lower Saxony connected with Chief Kevin Quinn of the National Volunteer Fire Council (NVFC) to discuss the possibility of an exchange program between junior firefighters of the two countries. Quinn reached out to the Firefighters Association of the State of New York (FASNY), specifically, then-FASNY First Vice President Steve Klein. Klein, in turn, reached out to the Nassau County Junior Firefighters Association (NCJFA).
In May of 2018, several members of the German contingent flew to New York to meet board members of the NCJFA. After several days of discussing plans, the groups decided to continue the meetings later that summer in Germany. NCJFA Junior President Robert Dowed met with the vice president of the German Fire Service in Berlin and the wheels were set in motion for an Exchange Program between Germany and the U.S.
In July of 2019, 13 juniors and advisors from the Haverlah Fire Station attended the NCJFA Camp Fahrenheit 516. For that week they were exposed to a modified version of what the Nassau County firefighters go through during their probationary training. They also got to visit the Nassau County Fire Museum, the Juniors Monument in Eisenhower Park, and the Nassau County Fire Service Academy.
After the success of the New York visit, plans were made for the trip to Germany in August of 2020. Unfortunately, the trip was postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Plans for a 2021 trip were postponed due to the Russian invasion of Ukraine. But nothing stops a determined group of firefighters. So, on August 16, 2024, the juniors and their chaperones took off from John F. Kennedy Airport in New York on their way to Lower Saxony.
The German experience
The Nassau juniors were introduced to various European firefighting techniques, where each day was a different adventure, and they traveled to different departments and bureaus throughout Lower Saxony. The juniors trained at the German version of FEMA, participated in water rescue drills, and had the rare opportunity to receive training that most do not receive…a simulated mine collapse that took them through a smoked-out mine shaft and underground railway derailment prop.
One of the most moving highlights was a visit to the Bergen-Belsen Concentration Camp where Anne Frank was murdered. The juniors had the honor of laying a floral wreath at the camp entrance. The NCJFA contingent also had some time to experience the culture and walk through the streets that are full of history.
They met the vice state leader of the German Junior Firefighter Association and toured the towns with a visit to the Parliament and Hanover town hall, meeting up with dignitaries of the German Government. They even went kayaking along the Oker River overlooking the picturesque town. The Nassau juniors received a private tour of the Hanover State Police headquarters, where they saw all their equipment used for state emergencies, and even had the opportunity to run their obstacle course.
Getting a chance to visit the Volkswagen manufacturing plant and travel along the assembly line was another special event on this trip. This ended with a tour of their 28-bay fire station for the plant, where they got to see some of the 16,300 Volkswagen fire extinguishers.
Mission accomplished
These were only some of the events, trainings, and programs that the juniors had the opportunity to experience. The week ended with the closing ceremony, where Chief Quinn gave awards to the Haverlah and NCJFA programs for their monumental accomplishments. All 30 participants of the exchange programs were able to receive various levels of the German Youth Flame Award.
But everyone agrees that the real award was the relationships that were formed over that week. People with over 3,000 miles between them formed a bond with ever-lasting relationships and memories that will never be forgotten. As stated in the closing ceremony, “For years to come, you will read about the continuation of this program and realize, you were part of the original groundbreaking event.”
The NCJFA would like to thank the Haverlah Fire Brigade and their surrounding departments, all of the venues in Germany that supported the program, the German Red Cross for all the food, all of the Nassau County Fire Matic Organizations & Departments, NVFC, FASNY, all of the chaperones, Chief Quinn for introducing the two organizations and the following participating departments: Baldwin, Bellmore, East Rockaway, East Norwich, Elmont, Farmingdale, Garden City, Hewlett, Manhasset-Lakeville, New Hyde Park, Plainview, Valley Stream, Wantagh and Westbury. If it were not for their support and belief in the program, the NCJFA would have never been able to have such a successful program. With the significant overwhelming success of this program, the association is excited about its next adventure.
To see more photos and what the NCJFA experienced during their adventure, follow them on social media Facebook and Instagram. You can also check out the Haverlah Juniors on Instagram.
