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JEFFERSON PARISH, La. (WGNO) — An investigation alleges that volunteer firefighters within Jefferson Parish’s Fire Protection District No.4 have been living in firehouses.
Jefferson Parish Inspector General Kim Raines released the findings on Wednesday, Jan. 11. of an investigation that found nine full-time volunteers using fire stations as their permanent residence.
According to the state of New York, volunteer fire departments serve around 9 million people. In recent years, more than three-quarters of these departments have reported a decrease in the number of people willing to volunteer.
“We’re running 600 calls a year or more now, where years ago we were running 100 calls a year,” says Chief Peter Shaw of the Malta Ridge Fire Company.
Because of the shortage, many fire companies throughout the state must rely on mutual aid. That’s when fire stations respond to calls from neighboring departments to provide more firefighters when there aren’t enough.
As the number of electric vehicles on the roadways increases, it is important for first responders to understand how a response involving these types of vehicles is different than those with an internal combustion engine. This course equips responders with the knowledge and tools to safely respond to electric vehicle incidents. Take it free for a limited time in the NVFC Virtual Classroom.
Through a U.S. Department of Transportation Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration grant, the NVFC is offering hazmat train-the-trainer events across the U.S. in 2024. To help more people attend these important trainings, the NVFC will grant 10 NVFC members with stipends that reimburse up to $500 of eligible travel-related expenses. Applications are due by January 2. Learn more and apply
The Ross Valley Fire Department is on its way to fulfilling a long-held goal of staffing three firefighters per engine. The staffing increase for next year was codified with a unanimous vote by the agency’s board at its meeting on Nov. 27. The vote concluded a prolonged process involving fire officials and representatives of Ross, Fairfax, San Anselmo and Sleepy Hollow.
As of Dec. 4, the Bureau of Land Management Central Coast Field Office has lifted fire restrictions for about 300,000 acres of public land in San Benito and other counties, due to the season’s reduced likelihood of wildfires.
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.
