Logo Translucent | MFD

OUR VALUES

Respect and honor yourself and others

OUR MISSION

The Milwaukee Junior Fire Institute is committed to providing a safe, fun, and physically challenging learning environment for students in the Greater Milwaukee area. We strive to teach others about the chain of command, working in a quasi-military organization, an increased awareness of the fire service, and being an active member of the community. We believe that whether a person decides to make firefighting a career is not as important as the ability to learn the concepts that we apply on a regular basis. While at the training academy, we strive to teach respect, honor, loyalty, trust, teamwork, humility, and determination. As part of our mission, we feel it is our job to make sure we enrich the futures of our youth and lead them to a successful path, wherever it may lead.

We will achieve our mission by volunteering in our community, serving as role models, and leading by example. We will always strive to do our best and to be ready to reach out to those that need a helping hand. Teamwork is at the core of our foundation, and we realize that through teamwork, we will be there for one another, bringing one another up instead of tearing one another down. Our presence in public spaces will be honorable; we will become and help others become prominent role models for future generations.

At the training academy, we are a family; off the training academy grounds, we remain a family. We will be able to confide in our fellow companions and be there in their lowest points. As we go on to be leaders in our community, we will carry on these characteristics with “Pride, Respect, and Honor.”

PRIDE

We strive to teach others about taking satisfaction in a job well done. This is important for the work we do, regardless of the size of the task. We work toward teaching students that after consistently accomplishing the small tasks, it is then that a company officer or superior can trust them with larger tasks. Working toward improving on your goals and tasks, as well as helping others to achieve theirs, helps instill a growing sense of pride for oneself, as well as for the entire JFI team.

RESPECT

We strive to teach others about the chain of command, working in a quasi-military organization, an increased awareness of the fire service, and being an active member of the community. We take the time to learn about one another, as well as how others view the training environment. This helps us to treat one another with respect, as well as teach others why it is important not only in the fire service but also in life itself. If any of that gets confusing, we know to treat someone how we want to be treated.

HONOR

We actively work to teach our students and each other about the men and women that have come before us in the fire service. We learn that we can perform the tasks that we do because of the sacrifices others have made. We discuss how to better serve our community and to honor those men and women and how we can pass along the things we learn to others, in order to keep the rich traditions of the fire service alive.

TEAMWORK

The fire service is an ever-changing, constantly evolving, dynamic environment. We strive to teach our students the importance of being able to work with different people at events. Firefighters always work in a team format, and the team and its members can change at a moment’s notice. By practicing our skills with multiple groups of different people, we learn how to utilize one another’s strengths and help others work through any weaknesses.

COMMUNITY

We are all members of the Greater Milwaukee Area and believe in doing everything we can to have a positive impact on our community. Our instructors are 90% volunteers and give of their time in order to work with our students. Many of our students go on to become members of the Milwaukee Fire Department and then JFI Instructors themselves! We are the community we serve, and we encourage students from the entire area to participate and go on to give back in the City of Milwaukee.

VOLUNTEER

Because our core of instructors is driven by volunteers, we highly encourage our students to volunteer as well. Our organization actively works for other nonprofit groups to support their missions, oftentimes raising funds on their behalf in order to better their cause/mission. Any organization that we support also has strong roots in the community and closely resembles our own mission. We encourage instructors and students alike to learn the high value of giving back and supporting those around you. We firmly believe and will instill in our students that by helping others, we open ourselves to new experiences and continue to learn and grow ourselves.