When I first joined the fire department, I didn't realize how many different groups there are within one fire department. They ranged from junior members, to experienced "green tag" firefighters. There was even a division for the older ladies in the department. I will describe all of the levels in this paper and tell what their responsibilities were that made the department function.
The first group is the junior members. These were the guys or girls who were between the ages of 14 and 18 years of age. All of them were classified as a "red tag," which meat that they had a red accountability tag which restricted their duties on a fire or accident scene. They are not allowed to fight be on an interior attack team, operate hydraulic extrication tools and jacks, or respond to calls between the hours of 10 PM and 6 AM on school nights and can only volunteer for a certain number of hours per week. These members are issued the older gear in the department because of their inability to perform the above listed tasks. These members are allowed to take classes that are offered at the fire hall, just unable to perform the duties in the field.
The rookies are a group of members who have recently joined the fire department and are un trained. These firefighters are also given the "red tag" classification. They are in training and usually only stay at the red level for a couple of months. Their restrictions are similar to the juniors. Just they don't have a certain number of volunteer hours per week or a curfew.
The next group of firefighters are the intermediates. These members are allowed to perform interior fire suppression with the assistance of a "green tag." The intermediates are also allowed to use the hydraulic extrication tool and jacks. This group of firefighters must be over the age of 18. To become the intermediate firefighter you should also take the essentials of firefighting class and pass the test.