WHY VOLUNTEER | BENEFITS | I’M READY
Although no previous experience or training is required, you need more than just a desire to help people. You also need courage and dedication, assertiveness, and a willingness to learn new skills and face new challenges. Our service is one that calls on its members to perform hot, sweaty, dirty, strenuous work, often in uncertain and hazardous environments.
Our volunteers need to be team players, respecting each other’s role and contributions. You need to be able to work on-call and to deal with occasional interruptions to your lifestyle, dropping what you’re doing at the ‘sound of the bell’ to respond to the emergency needs of your fellow citizen.
A new recruit can expect to spend between 5-10 hours each week on fire company business. This entails meetings, training, emergency responses and other miscellaneous activities. Some weeks will be more and other weeks much less. The days of the week or times may vary depending on the level of activity. However, most regularly scheduled events occur on Tuesday evenings although we offer several flexible options to meet training and other expectations..
We’ve listed a lot of the benefits you can expect from us, and in return there are certain objectives we expect you to meet:
TO APPLY:
- You must be at least 18 years of age to apply under the Fire/Rescue, Fire Police, EMS or Fire Corps membership categories. Our Fire Explorer Post accepts members between the ages of 14 and 21. A statement of parental or guardian consent must accompany an application from anyone under the age of 18 years.
- You must be physically, intellectually and emotionally capable of performing the duties according to your area of assignment.
- You must reside within the Town of Evans, Eden, Brant or Hamburg, New York.
- You must have no record of felony convictions.
UPON ACCEPTANCE:
- New members must complete a new recruit orientation program before responding to emergency incidents.
- New recruits must successfully pass an OSHA physical examination conducted by our medical director and paid for by the fire department.
- New members will be considered on probation for a period of one year. Their probationary activities will be reviewed within thirty days following one (1) year of active service and the probationary member will be recommended for continued service or termination at that time.
Removal from probationary status requires that the aforementioned requirements be fulfilled along with the probationary requirements of their membership classification. - All members must attend 50% of all regular monthly business meetings (6 per year) held on the first Tuesday of every month, and all special meetings unless excused.
- All personnel are responsible for assisting in the fund-raising efforts of the organization.
- Probationary members must have completed six (6) months of active service in order to vote in the election of officers.
- Failure to complete the minimum requirements can result in suspension or termination of membership.
FIRE/RESCUE PERSONNEL:
New Firefighters must complete a 56-hour NYS Basic Exterior Firefighting Operations (BEFO) course (designed to be an introduction to firefighting) or a 130-hour Firefighter 1 course (for within two years of acceptance into membership. Probationary firefighters will not be allowed to attend any other courses prior to completion of the appropriate basic training course.- New Firefighters must attend at least 12 regularly scheduled or special drills (Training) during the one-year probation period.
- Firefighters must attend at least 50% of regularly scheduled or special drills each year following successful completion of the probation period. Each session lasts approximately 3 hours. Regular drills are scheduled on the second and fourth Tuesdays of each month. Extra training sessions are scheduled as needed.
- Active Firefighters must respond to 15% of the total fire calls per year (equals an avg. of 25 calls).
EMS PERSONNEL:
- New EMS Personnel must complete a NYS Certified First Responder-CFR or Emergency Medical Technician-EMT course within the one-year probationary period.
- Active EMS Personnel must respond to 10% of the total EMS calls per year.
FIRE POLICE:
- New Fire Police Personnel must complete a NYS Certified Fire Police course within the one-year probationary period and be duly sworn as a NYS Fire Police Officer.
- New Fire Police members must attend at least six (6) regularly scheduled or special Fire Police drills (Training) during the one-year probation period.
- Active Fire Police must respond to 10% of the total (Fire, Rescue and EMS) calls per year.
FIRE CORPS (ASSOCIATE):
- Associate Members must actively serve on at least one (1) committee or hold an elected office at all times.
- Associate Members have the right to vote at meetings but may vote in the election of administrative officers only.
- Associate Members may run for and hold the office of Recording Secretary, Financial Secretary, Treasurer or Steward.
FIRE EXPLORER (AGES 14-21)
- Fire Explorers are subject to the rules and expectations of Explorer Post 528 and the Boy Scouts of America.
- Fire Explorers do not respond to emergency calls but may be eligible to attend training courses.
- High School Students must maintain a suitable grade point average in order to continue participation.
Evans Center Volunteer FIRE/RESCUE/EMS 