The Cedarburg Fire Department Explorers are a group of teenage youth devoted to the fire service and serving their community. The post trains teenagers ages 14-18 about the many aspects of fire fighting. Trainings include topics such as ladders, hand tools, and advancing hoses. The post supports the “active” fire department at fire calls, and supports the community through our many public service events.

The events include a food drive program, working at the annual Maxwell Street Days and working closely with the schools on fire prevention.

The explorer group has three levels of experience.

  1. Probationary Explorer. This is the first step when you first join the group. They can participate in trainings but are limited on what they can do, and which service projects the group might have.
  2. Explorer. These explorers have more understanding of what the fire service is about. They can go on fire calls and have a limited job assignment on the fire ground.
  3. Senior Explorer. This is the highest level of the group. They have a very good understanding of where tools are in the fire apparatus and know how they work and can properly use them. With more experience being around the firehouse, senior explorers also get to know how the fire department works on and off the fire scene. To reach this level of explorers, a person has to receive higher than 70% on a test of the fundamentals of firefighting. The instructors give a practical test as well. Senior Explorers also are able to get more involved with the department trainings and have a greater opportunity to work with the firefighters on fire calls.

Each explorer that joins the post is assigned a duty group. Each duty group has a specific job each week. They are encouraged to come down to the firehouse and help out with weekly maintenance of the fire trucks, keep the fire station clean, and respond to fire calls. To keep the explorer’s projects and the group organized, the explorer advisors choose leaders for the post. There are explorer officers, Lieutenants and a Captain. They have the responsibilities of running the business meetings, helping teach the less experienced explorers and providing a good working relationship within the fire department.

Each officer is assigned a duty group. They are in charge of their group working in the firehouse that week and working with them on fire calls. Besides working on fire related subjects, the officers promote team work, working on community service projects, and helping build leadership.

Training Statement

The Explorers train on many different aspects of the fire service. We practice on average two times a month, and also get to work with the different companies within the Fire Department. We work not only side by side with each other, but with the firefighters and officers as well, to get a better understanding of how to work at a fire. This also brings camaraderie and team work together.

At the trainings we work on:

  • Donning and doffing or personal protective equipment
  • Using hand tools
  • Putting up ladders
  • Working with charged hose lines
  • Search and Rescue
  • Pumping operations
  • Fire attack


The explorer program is a great way for youth to learn about the fire service. The skills learned can make for a potential carrier in firefighting, as well as help in daily life. For information about the Cedarburg Fire Department Explorer program, just go to the fire house or talk to an explorer.