By: Betty Lee
Quick question: If someone you love was hurt in an auto accident, who would respond? Active participation in your local volunteer fire department is down, new membership interest has diminished and many of those you call hero in your local communities are growing older. Do you have some extra time and an interest to serve your community? Are you willing to put a little effort in and sacrifice some time to be there when called upon? Well, your community needs you. We don’t require you to respond to all calls, but it is required to respond to some. And if a few responded to some, well then that’s a few more than what we had yesterday, and together we will grow.
Being a volunteer firefighter doesn’t necessarily mean you have to rush into burning buildings and save babies or climb a tree to get a cat. What we look for is someone who is able to assist, willing to learn and can serve as a team player. Most of the calls in this county include auto accidents, trees blocking the roads, and brush fires. Did you know you can volunteer to serve as a driver and not a front-line fighter? We need drivers as well. If you’re near the station when a call-to-assist goes out, simply go to your station, and take a rig to the scene of an accident. That will drastically increase our response time.
How do you become a member? Simple: stop by your local station during one of their meetings. Big Otter station meets every Monday at 7 p.m. Clay and Lizemore stations meet every Thursday at 7 p.m. You’d just bust through the door like the Kool-Aid man and fill out an application. Once the screening is completed, you’ll be voted in and on your way to serving your community. We have the required Introduction, Firefighter 1, class starting in October and would love to have you there!
For those not interested in becoming a member but still wish to assist and support, we openly welcome the public to join us during our weekly meetings. During these meetings we discuss tips and safety procedures, potential issues related to weather, conduct training, service equipment as well as practice good housekeeping by cleaning the station and trucks. Feel free to bring your little one with and let the inspiration begin. Age requirement: anyone 16 and 17 years old can become a junior firefighter with parent’s permission.