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 chance to learn about local fire, rescue, and emergency medical services response organizations in a safe, controlled, educational, and fun way while providing departments with an excellent recruitment mechanism. Reaching out to people when they are young has long-range effects, and encouraging youth to take part in the emergency services is extremely beneficial to local communities and departments. Benefits of junior firefighter programs include: 
 
Allowing youth to gain insight and interest in becoming long-term members of the emergency services 
 
Increasing awareness among youth about volunteering and supporting the fire and emergency services 
 
Providing departments with additional help in accomplishing non-firefighting or non-emergency tasks 
 
Leadership development for Canada's youth, who are tomorrow's leaders 
 
Educating parents and mentors on the importance of encouraging volunteerism 
 
Training activities allow the teenagers to gain firefighting and emergency service experience. Typical activities practicing firefighting techniques, communication using radios, practicing first aid, maintaining firefighting gear, and firefighting drills.