Volunteer Program – Frequently Asked Questions
Eastside
Fire & Rescue
What are the minimum
requirements for applicant to become a volunteer emergency medical technician
(“EMT”) or volunteer firefighter?
What are the steps in
the application/qualification process to become a volunteer EMT or firefighter?
Successful
applicants will complete and pass the following steps: written application, written general knowledge
test, physical agility test, psychological evaluation, criminal background
investigation, driving record review, oral-board interviews, and a medical
evaluation including a drug screening.
Am I required to live
within the Eastside Fire & Rescue (“EF&R”) service area?
Yes, EF&R
policy requires volunteer EMTs and Firefighters to live within the City of
Carnation, City of
What if I do not live
within the EF&R service area?
We will
still accept your application contingent upon your agreement to move into the
service area before the start of our training academy.
If you do
not plan to move into the EF&R service area, then we suggest you contact
your local fire department, as they may have their own volunteer program. If your local fire department does not have a
volunteer program, contact the EF&R’s volunteer program manager for a referral
to an agency that does.
As a volunteer, what
is my minimum commitment to the department?
The
department expects you to attend the majority of weekly drills and work an
8-hour VSET shift each month with your assigned crew. Additionally, the department encourages
volunteers to respond to alarms at any time.
The
department advises volunteers to budget approximately 20 to 30 hours per month
for these activities and alarms.
What is a drill? Why do volunteers drill?
A drill is
a military term for a brief scenario-based exercise. As a volunteer, you will train on a weekly
basis practicing medical emergencies and firefighting duties.
Typical
drill topics include CPR/AED skills, diabetic emergencies, trauma emergencies,
HazMat awareness, highway traffic safety, and emergency vehicle
operations. Firefighters also practice
hose drills, SCBA maintenance, ventilation, salvage and overhaul, just to name
a few.
On which nights are
drills? What if I can’t make the drill
each week?
Depending
on your assigned station, drills are 7-10 p.m. on either Wednesday or Thursday
evenings. Each drill topic is offered at
least twice per quarter (on different weeks), so if you have are unable to make
one session, you can usually make it up with another volunteer company. Many of our volunteers have jobs that take
them out of town, or may have other family commitments that require some
flexibility in their schedule. The
training department publishes the schedule in advance for each quarter.
What is VSET? What is my time commitment in this program?
In 2006,
the department rolled out a new training program called the Volunteer Skills
Experience and Training Program (“VSET”).
Each volunteer is assigned to a full-time duty crew and is required to
spend a minimum of 8 hours per month in order to better understand station
operations and to gain individual coaching in skill development. During this time volunteers are integrated
members of the duty crew. Volunteers
respond on calls, participate in public education activities, and receive coaching
on their firefighting and emergency medical skills.
The
scheduling of the VSET 8-hours per month is negotiable with the assigned
officer. Some volunteers choose to split
VSET time into two, four-hour shifts.
What is an alarm? How will I be notified?
An alarm is
a call for service, whether it is a medical or fire-related emergency. Volunteers are issued a pager that will
notify them of alarms.
When am I required to
be on duty?
Besides the
weekly drill and monthly VSET requirements, volunteers coordinate schedules
with their station officers to monitor their pagers and respond to alarms.
How often to do
alarms occur? How long do they last?
Medical aid
alarms can be as short as twenty minutes or last as long as two hours in the
event a patient needs to be transported by aid car to the hospital. Fire alarms, where there is an actual fire,
last a minimum of one hour, but can last as long as six hours. The majority of alarms are for medical aid.
A volunteer
station can have 60 to 500 alarms a year. Occurrence of alarms is very unpredictable. A station may go days without an alarm, or
have as many as four to five in a single day.
What equipment will I
need to buy? What equipment will be
provided by the department?
EF&R
will provide all uniforms and personal protective equipment – including gloves,
turnouts, helmets and masks. Volunteers
will be responsible for their own pair of leather work boots.
What training will EF&R
provide?
EF&R
sponsors a 100-hour fire fundamentals course for volunteer firefighters.
After your
initial training, volunteers participate in weekly drills and monthly VSET time
to satisfy all state regulatory and department policy requirements.
Volunteers
in good standing may also be sponsored to the
Where can I get
training to become a volunteer Emergency Medical Technician?
Emergency
Medical Technician training occurs at local community colleges. The King County Department of Public Health
has information on EMT licensure on their website (http://www.metrokc.gov/HEALTH/medicone/medonefaq.htm).
EF&R
periodically sponsors an Emergency Medical Technician Academy. Interested volunteers should submit an
application through the Volunteer Program Manager (below).
Where can I go for
more information?
Interested
applicants should contact David Misakian, Volunteer Program Manager at (425)
313-3247 or volunteerprogram@esf-r.org. You may also contact any EF&R station officer,
or visit our website (http://www.eastsidefire-rescue.org).