The Falcon Fire Protection District Board announced the kick-off of what it hopes will be an annual recruiting drive for volunteers. Lieutenant Tom Resha, this year’s recruiting chairman, said, “We are looking for interested residents from 14 on up, to join the department in a variety of roles.” Board Chairman Richard Martin explained that the FFPD decided to begin recruitment this fall because “With the growth in the demand for services and no foreseeable increase in our operating budget due to the current economic crisis, we decided to increase the opportunity for community residents to get involved in their fire department.”Volunteers are being sought not only as firefighters, but also as emergency medical technicians. Firefighters and EMTs are required to meet various job performance based fitness standards and health screenings before being accepted. The department plans to run two training academies this fall and winter – one for new firefighters and one for firefighters that transfer into the department. There are also some openings for reserve firefighters. Reserve firefighters are paid for their participation.Additionally, in a break from tradition, the department is seeking community members to volunteer in other positions as well. There is a particular need for volunteers with a background in public affairs, public education, fire prevention and other support services. Resha said, “We are looking for community members not only for the traditional firefighter roles, but for variety of support positions as well. What better way for a retired school teacher to return to the classroom while serving the community than to help our department in tailoring effective public education efforts. Likewise, we are particularly interested in folks that have retired from the trades and would be interested in helping with plan reviews, code enforcement and fire safety inspections.”The department also sponsors a fire service Explorer post that has been highly successful and is led by the department’s officers. For those young people interested in exploring a career in the fire service and as a first responder generally, the Explorer program is a perfect fit. “If you are between 14 and 21 years old, interested in the fire service or learning about emergency medical response, we have a place for you in the Falcon fire department”, said Resha.For more information, please call the Falcon fire station at 495-4050.
