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Denison Fire Chief Highlights Local Role in Statewide Junior Firefighter Bill
Denison Fire Chief Cory Snowgren is highlighting Denison’s connection to a statewide junior firefighter bill that has passed the Iowa Legislature and is now listed among enrolled bills.
Senate File 2086 would authorize Iowa school districts and accredited nonpublic schools to offer an elective junior firefighter program for students in grades 11 and 12. According to state legislative records, the bill passed on March 24 and is listed with an effective date of July 1, 2026, though the latest enrolled bill listing reviewed did not show a separate governor signature date for SF 2086.
In a recent social media post, Snowgren credited Ron Sinnwell, Mickey Shields and Blake Deiber for helping move the effort forward. Snowgren also shared a past email from Sinnwell, then with IMWCA, that described Denison’s junior firefighter program as a model the Iowa League of Cities and IMWCA believed could set the standard for departments across the state.
The email, dated from the 2017-2018 timeframe, stated that the City of Denison had a program officials believed “sets the standard for all fire departments,” and said efforts were underway at that time to promote the model more broadly across Iowa. Snowgren was also referenced in the email as someone scheduled to present on the Denison program at the Iowa League of Cities Annual Convention.
Under SF 2086, schools could offer the program as either an extracurricular activity or as part of a career and technical education curriculum. Schools would first need to partner with a local fire department, which would be responsible for program materials and skills training.
The program is designed to prepare students to sit for Firefighter I certification testing through the Fire Service Training Bureau. Students who complete the program and pass the exams before turning 18 would not receive certification until they reach age 18.
The bill also includes safety restrictions for students under 18. They would be allowed to take part in supervised training and certain limited duties, but would be prohibited from high-risk activities such as driving fire department vehicles in emergency mode, performing interior fire suppression, entering confined spaces, responding to hazardous material incidents or performing ice rescues.
Students in the program would not be considered employees, volunteer firefighters or members of a fire department. Schools offering the program would be responsible for medical and liability insurance coverage for participating students.
Snowgren said the effort reflects years of work by people behind the scenes to build support for junior firefighter programs and move the issue to the state level. The Denison connection gives the bill a local angle, as city officials and fire service partners had discussed the Denison program years earlier as a possible model for other Iowa communities.
