Newington Fire Department Cadet Program

The Newington Fire Department Cadet Program is dedicated to educating the youth of Newington about the aspects of Fire Department operations. This purpose is accomplished through training, hands-on experience, and the support/observation of firefighters during everyday incidents.  Cadets are not allowed to participate in any dangerous activities; rather, they are to function as support for other Fire Department personnel.

The Department offers the Fire Cadet training program to high school students. Applicants become eligible when they are currently enrolled in a secondary education institution (i.e. high school or vocational school), reside in Newington, and are between the ages of 16 and 18 years old.  Participants must maintain passing grades on quarterly report cards and be of good moral character. Applicants must have written permission from a parent or guardian to enroll in the program.

Cadets may earn community service credit by accruing a minimum of 90 volunteer hours during the academic year. Forty-five hours must be spent on monthly Cadet activities including drills, cleanups, meetings, and field trips. The additional forty-five hours are to be completed through participation in regular department cleanups, training sessions, and fire responses.

A 1/4 of a credit can be earned for every 30 hours of service completed up to 120 hours of service for 1 full credit. No more than 1/4 credit may be earned in any quarter. Students can only earn 1 credit through this program for their entire high school career. One 1/2 of that credit can be used towards the required Health & Safety Pathway graduation requirement. Students are responsible for providing documentation to school administration attesting to the completion of the above time requirements for earning High School credit.