Thursday, October 1, 2026
Before they can legally vote or drive, some teenagers in Hewlett and Woodmere are already learning how to run into burning buildings and save lives.
Junior firefighter programs teach teens, typically ages 13 to 17, how to handle fires and other emergencies. The programs train members to take part in hands-on experiences, providing them with gear, equipment and training facilities.
The Hewlett and Woodmere volunteer fire departments are two of more than 40 throughout Nassau County with junior programs.
Ari Herman, the Woodmere Junior Fire Department adviser, said that there is no real recruitment system for the fire department, and the juniors serve as something like a minor league system, representing the next generation of firefighters.
“Most members, when they join, they’re starting at zero — there’s no foundational knowledge, and that’s OK,” Herman said. “However, if and when we’re able to train these kids, they’re then able to join the department with, already, a foundation of knowledge, so that the learning curve … is a lot shorter.”
Herman said that junior firefighters typically become full-fledged volunteers when they’re eligible, at age 18. The program gives them a chance to serve in leadership positions and refine their skills.
Jared Glassman, 20, joined the Hewlett juniors when he was 13, rising through the ranks and eventually becoming captain of the program. He also served as president of the Nassau County Junior Firefighters Association, which comprises more than 40 junior departments across the county who gather for regular meetings to share their experiences.
Now a Hewlett volunteer, Glassman said that the skills he learned as a junior not only helped him complete his training way ahead of schedule, but have also helped him in his everyday life as well.
“The Junior Fire Department, in general, is … such a special organization, I cannot say enough positive things about it,” he said. “Aside from the firefighting, just the life skills that you gain, the doing, the take care of things, the do-it-yourself mentality, the not sitting on the sides and waiting for someone to do something, that ripples into every aspect of your daily life, and it helps you stand out.”
Juniors in Nassau County can also take part in Camp Fahrenheit 516. The camp, presented by the Junior Firefighters Association during the week of July 20 at the Nassau County Fire Service Academy, located at 300 Winding Rd, Old Bethpage, is rigorous five-day training that includes intensive drills.
Hayley Goldstein, 17, the first lieutenant of the Hewlett juniors, was a Camp Fahrenheit 516 participant, and said that the people in the program helped her develop confidence in herself.
“There will never be another experience like this,” Goldstein said. “Whether you just join and you make friends in the firehouse, or you join and go to the other things, like the Nassau County meetings, everything that you learn is going to stay with you for the rest of your life, and everything that you learn will help you in whatever career you want to pursue.”
Members of the Hewlett junior department can also be a part of the Junior Drill Team, which competes in a series of fire-related events against other departments in the area. The drill team features four hose events, a ladder-climbing event and one focused on putting on gear.
Audrey Sasso, 18, a recent graduate of the Hewlett junior program, was a member of the Junior Drill Team. She said that she planned to come back from University of Central Florida next summer and become a full-time volunteer firefighter.
“(The program) is important to me, because I was always a little on the smaller side, and it was harder for me to do a lot of the drills because it required more strength,” Sasso said. “It meant a lot to me that I was able to become confident enough to do everything that everyone who’s taller than me or stronger than me can do, and to be able to take it into the firehouse and contribute and help my community is a big thing for me as well.”
