Warwick Police Dept. Junior Police Academy cadets visit Raymond Hose Co. 2

The 2025 Town of Warwick Police Department Junior Police Academy (JPA) is underway! The first of two sold-out sessions began Monday and continues until next Friday. A second session begins on August 4 and ends on August 11.

The JPA program is led by Warwick Valley's school resource officers, all of whom are members of the Warwick PD. In the JPA program, students get to enjoy summer fun with their peers, while learning about police training and service, civic responsibility and engagement, and local government. The JPA emphasizes public service and leadership, and focuses on personal qualities and skills such as teamwork, resilience, effective communication, and problem-solving, all of which align closely with the qualities outlined in our district’s Portrait of a Graduate.

See a gallery of pictures from the firehouse visit below this story.

Today, the cadets visited with firefighters at the Warwick Valley Fire Department's Raymond Hose Co. 2 on West Street. The visit began with a sit-down session in the fire house's common area, led by ex-Captain Reilly and firefighter Hughes. Students learned about many things that are part of the day-to-day operation of the firehouse, including the wide variety of emergencies to which firefighters respond, and how different first responder agencies from Warwick and beyond coordinate their efforts on larger emergencies.

The cadets also learned about firefighting gear and got to see one of the firefighters "suit up" as if they were headed into a fire. The students were particularly interested to find out that each firefighter's gear is their responsibility, including cleaning it and returning it to their lockers neatly after a call. They also learned about some of the tools that firefighters use to enter burning structures, including the Halligan tool, a name many students recognized from the local restaurant of the same name!  

One cadet asked about the required credentials to drive a fire truck. Besides a license and basic ability to drive a vehicle (of course), someone who wants to drive a fire truck must also be able to do so in a "high stress environment" and be able to pump the truck. 

"If you've ever driven around Warwick in the fall and seen Applefest traffic, then you have an idea of the type of driving stress we're talking about," joked one firefighter. "But to drive the trucks, honestly, you need to be able to keep your cool, even during high stress times, like at emergency scenes that can be pretty hectic."  

Cadets also wondered how to get started as a volunteer firefighter in Warwick. The answer: just ask! There is an interview process, they said, while also letting the cadets know that there will be some specific requirements of anyone who is a "junior member."

"If you're a junior firefighter, you can expect to be cleaning the [fire trucks]," they joked again. "But, honestly, being a volunteer firefighter is a great place to begin. It's a great place for community service; for people who want to give something back to the community."  

Before the students went down into the truck bay to tour the emergency vehicles, their sit-down session ended with a lesson on the importance of home fire alarms and the types of fire extinguishers used on different types of fires. A key takeaway---no water on grease or electrical fires! 

Cadets also learned how to operate a fire extinguisher, referring to the acronym PASS...

• Pull the pin
• Aim at the base of the fire
• Squeeze the extinguisher handle
• Sweep back and forth 

Lastly, the firefighters stressed the importance of establishing a Home Fire Escape Plan. They encouraged the cadets to have a conversation at home with their parents on the topic.

Each JPA session involves classroom learning and field trips, with hands-on, real-world activities and experiences. There are lectures, demos and workshops led by local law enforcement, NYS Troopers, numerous first responder agencies, as well as local professionals. The cadets also get in plenty of physical activity each day, specifically their morning workouts! The program also exposes students to the legal process, the importance of emergency services to a community, and even serves to show students some career pathways that exist in the law enforcement field.

More to come this week from this first session of the 2025 JPA!