Our Mission

The Junior Firefighter Youth Foundation is a community based and educational non-profit organization in Los Angeles, California. We provide mentoring, training, and development services to at-risk youth through a partnership with schools in the southwest area of Los Angeles County.

Our History

The Junior Firefighter Youth Foundation (JFFYF) was founded in 2003, by Captain Brent Burton. Captain Burton is a retired career fire service professional with over 37 years of experience with the Los Angeles County Fire Department. Captain Burton started his fire service career while still in high school at the age of 16 as a fire explorer with the Los Angeles City Fire Department.

The JFFYF is a community-based educational operation that assists various schools within the greater Los Angeles County region. Our three collaborating organizations are the African American Firefighter Museum, the Stentorians of Los Angeles County, and City Fire Departments.

 The Foundation provides services on the campuses of various elementary and high schools, by providing a Junior Fire Cadet Program and Future Firefighter Program.

Our Purpose

Participants of our program are provided with opportunities to receive mentoring from off-duty firefighters and are provided a curriculum with objectives in the importance of community and civic engagement, discipline, the value of physical fitness, basic fire safety principles, basic life survival skills and are given a working knowledge of how the fire department operates.