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You may have heard that wildfire seasons are getting longer, with blazes burning more intensely and lasting longer than ever. In 1993, fires were fought across nearly 1.8 million acres — but by 2021, that area had quadrupled. Not surprisingly, the resources and workforce needed to combat these conflagrations have been increasing as well.
Gov. Kathy Hochul’s office has recently unveiled a new Training Stipend Program with the aim of bolstering staffing levels at state fire departments, citing a pressing need to address declining volunteer numbers.
Under the program, volunteer firefighters completing training courses offered by the Office of Fire Prevention and Control will receive stipends ranging from $500 to over $1,200, depending on the course. The state has earmarked $10 million for the program.
Massive military transport vehicles are being refitted to fight wildfires and perform rescues during floods.
Excess equipment the federal government no longer needs is now being put to use by volunteer fire departments to save lives and property.
It’s all possible because of a little-known, but heavily used program through the Nebraska Forest Service.
There’s a new tool in the Tempe Fire Department’s arsenal that they hope will make the challenge of fighting electric vehicle fires a thing of the past. “It’s very easy to use and it way less kick back then any of our firehoses,” said Tempe Fire Department Assistant Fire Chief Chris Snow.
“Volunteer firefighters put their lives on the line to protect those in their communities, and it is time that we recognize and compensate them for the work that they have done,” Governor Hochul said. “These stipends will allow our firefighters to continue serving their communities while also being able to provide for their families.”
Calaveras County consists of 10 volunteer fire departments:
The CCFCA fire agencies are located in the foothills of the Sierra Nevada Mountains, 188 miles east of San Francisco and 135 miles west of Lake Tahoe in California. Found midway on State Highway 49, between Sacramento and Yosemite, Calaveras County links the two towns of the California Gold Country. With an average of 6,000 fire and emergency service calls a year, our 11 fire districts serve a rural area of 45,578 people. We provide fire protection and rescue service to 1,020 square miles of rural area. Our 11 volunteer agencies respond to structure fires, wild land fires, medical emergencies, water rescue, technical rope rescue, hazardous materials spills, public service assistance calls and other emergencies. The Calaveras County Fire Agencies protects an area that is 66% rural wild land, 21% residential, and 3% commercial, including Calaveras Big Trees State Park, a preserve of Giant Sequoia trees, located in the county several miles east of the town of Arnold.
Below is a list of the selection criteria each department requires in order to consider an application for volunteer firefighter. Read the criteria and make sure that you qualify, then click the Apply button to complete your application online.
Although local governments and departments establish different selection criteria, many departments require that volunteers:
Time requirements vary by department. Time commitment will depend on several factors, such as the number of calls the department receives, training requirements, shift versus on-call structure, and community activities in which the department requires volunteers to participate.
Volunteer departments prefer that volunteers have the ability to respond to calls 24 hours a day, although most departments still accept volunteers who are unable to leave work or other obligations to respond to a call.
Typically, departments pay for training and firefighting equipment. Volunteer firefighting is an unpaid position; however, some departments may provide stipends or reimburse volunteers for certain expenses.
