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Firefighters and fire departments perform a critical service in our communities. Not only do they prevent and extinguish structural fires, but they also respond to medical emergencies and help mitigate the effects of natural disasters. That's why it may come as a...
by: Nabil Remadna Posted: Jul 19, 2023 / 08:02 PM CDT Updated: Jul 19, 2023 / 08:02 PM CDT LANCO, Texas (KXAN) — Wildfire season is here and that means fire departments around Central Texas are on high alert, but in more rural areas it can be a challenge to respond...
BLAINE, Minn. — As the firefighter shortage continues across the state, departments that rely on volunteers are having to get creative to recruit. The Spring Lake Park-Blaine-Mounds View Fire Department is making changes to put more feet in boots.
“We need people more than we’ve ever needed. We’re down roughly 30 people right now,” said Dan Retka, Fire Chief for Spring Lake Park-Blaine-Mounds View Fire Department.
Retka’s staffing challenges are like those across Minnesota; 97% of the state’s firefighters are volunteers.
Volunteer fire and EMS departments across the country are struggling to attract and retain qualified members. Recognizing this challenge, the U.S. Fire Administration, in partnership with the NVFC, has released a comprehensive guide titled Retention and Recruitment for the Volunteer Emergency Services. The manual aims to equip volunteer departments with the necessary tools, strategies, and insights to overcome recruitment obstacles and retain their valuable volunteers. Learn more and download the guide
A newly-released examination of how the Los Angeles Fire Department handles emergency calls shows the department sometimes exceeds ideal response times because of traffic, a few neighborhoods in need of dedicated fire stations, and a lack of personnel.
The New Boston Texas Fire Department is short of volunteers now that Michael Fuller, the assistant chief, has resigned.
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.
