Fire District 6 accepts volunteer applications year round. The fire district has three different volunteer opportunities:
On Call Volunteer Firefighter
On Call Volunteer FireFighters live within five miles of Station 61. They carry a pager and respond to fire and rescue emergencies and to medical emergencies when requested by the on duty crew. On Call Volunteer FireFighters are responsible to attend required training and are required to respond to a percentage of the calls that occur. Some OC Volunteer FireFighters are also members of the Shift Volunteer program (see below).
Shift Volunteer
Shift Volunteers are FireFighter/EMTs (Emergency Medical Technicians) who take shifts staffing the fire station. They are part of a three person duty crew that responds to all emergencies in the fire district during their shift. The three person duty crew consists of a career duty officer and two shift volunteers. Shift Volunteers are responsible to attend required training and to volunteer for a certain number of shifts monthly. Shift Volunteers bid monthly for open shifts on a flexible schedule. Shift Volunteers are not required to live in the fire district. All hift Volunteers must be certified as a Washington State EMT-B or higher and must achieve driver operator status for the district’s ambulances and utility vehicles. Shift volunteers receive a stipend of $72 per 24 hour shift to offset the cost of volunteering.
Modified Detroit Shift Volunteer
Modified Detroit Shift Volunteers are the same as regular Shift Volunteers except that they do not have bid for shifts. These volunteers are granted a fixed shift schedule of between 7-10 24 hour shifts per month. These volunteers are typically part college level fire science programs and are allowed to leave shift to attend college. In addition to all the requirements for Shift Volunteers, Modified Detroit Shift Volunteers must achieve driver operator status for the entire fleet of fire apparatus. In addition to the normal Shift Volunteer stipend, Modified Detroit Shift Volunteers receive an additional bonus of $300 per month. The district only has three Modified Detroit Shift Volunteer positions.
Application Process
All volunteers are screened for eligibility at time of application and are then vetted through an internal selection process.
1. Minimum Requirements
• 18 years of age
• High school diploma or GED
• Valid Washington State drivers license
• No felony or disqualifying criminal history
• Physically and medically capable of performing duties
• No disqualifying personal history (dishonesty, ethics violations, driving history, domestic violence, credit problems, illegal drug use, etc…)
• Applicants are required at this step to complete a written personal history statement. This is a confidential disclosure of personal information to be reviewed by the fire district and cross referenced during the background investigation.
6. Interview
• All applicants are interviewed by a board of district supervisory personnel.
7. Chief’s Interview
• Applicants who receive a favorable evaluation by the interview panel are interviewed by the Chief.
8. Offer of Position
• If the Chief’s evaluation of the applicant was favorable, the applicant is offered a position with the district.
9. Post Offer Medical Screening
• All post offer candidates receive a medical screening to determine fitness for duty.
10. Orientation
• Personnel who are deemed medically fit for duty begin an orientation process. During this process, new personnel receive proper training including enrolment in an evening academy courses and district orientation. Applicants transferring laterally from other fire departments receive a more limited orientation.
11. Probation
• All new district personnel are placed probationary status for one year. During that time, personnel must perform consistent with district standards and complete all required training. Probational personnel serve without duty limitations dependant on their level of training.
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Status updated 3 times daily from WADNR Updated: 17-May-2013 1800hrs
