What does a Volunteer Firefighter do?

• Extinguish fires of all types (structure, vehicle, and brush/wildland.)
   

• Provide "first responder" emergency medical care to the sick and injured.
   

• Perform Search and Rescue for missing and trapped occupants.
   

• Respond to traffic collisions and perform rescue.
   

• Respond to hazardous materials incidents.
   

• Clean and maintain fire apparatus/equipment and stations.
   

• Training (your education never ends.)
   

• Public Education. As a Firefighter you will be involved with educating the public in fire and home safety.
   

What does it take to be a Firefighter?

Your hours will be filled with responding to emergency incidents, training, maintenance of the trucks and station, and preparation for the next incident.  you may have some questions about being a Volunteer Firefighter. Here are some of the most commonly asked questions:

How much training does it take to become a Volunteer Firefighter?

How much time will I have to commit to the department?

What are the physical demands on a Volunteer Firefighter?

What physical and mental stresses does a Volunteer Firefighter endure?

Training:

The initial opportunity will take 3 months to complete.  This initial period must be completed before you will be allowed to respond to an emergency response.  During your initial and subsequent training you will spend time learning how to fight fires, provide emergency medical care, extricate people who are trapped in their motor vehicles and learn to assist mitigating hazardous materials incidents.

Time:

After your initial training you will be required to attend at least 30% of the total day, night and weekend calls that you are dispatched to. In addition you must attend at least 50% of the training/meeting nights.  The training/meeting nights are each Tuesday evening starting at 7pm and lasting approximately two hours (excluding holidays.)

Physical Demands:

The physical demands on the body of a firefighter are astronomical. The average weight of gear a firefighter wears is 50lbs.  The average body core temperature of a firefighter goes from normal 98.6 to 104 degrees after performing a normal workload at a fire scene.  Firefighting requires you to work with hand tools and equipment (usually in adverse conditions.)  The normal workload at a fire would be equivalent of running a 1.5 mile stretch without stretching. 

Stress:

 Stress plays a major role in a firefighter's life.  Stress affects a firefighter in the form of short and long term stress.  Some examples of this stress are: Your family may not understand you have to leave to respond to a call at a moments notice.  Also firefighters have to perform immediately (there is no warm up time.)  As a firefighter you will be exposed to constant hazards on every emergency call.