Q: Am I required to live in the Eastside Fire & Rescue ("EF&R") service area?
A: Yes, EF&R policy requires volunteer EMTs and Firefighters to live within the City of Carnation, City of Issaquah, City of North Bend, City of Sammamish, King County Fire District 10 or Fire District 38. | Q: What if I do not live within the EF&R service area?
A: 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. | Q: As a volunteer, what is my minimum commitment to the department?
A: 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. The aforementioned time budget includes all of the drills, alarms and VSET activities (described below). | Q: What is a drill? Why do volunteers drill?
A: 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. | Q: On which nights are drills? What if I can’t make the drill each week?
A: 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. | | Q: What is VSET? What is my time commitment in this program?
A: In 2006, the department rolled out an innovative 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. | Q: What is an alarm? How will I be notified?
A: 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. | | Q: How often do alarms occur? How long do they last?
A: 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. | Q: What equipment will I need to buy? What equipment will be provided by the department?
A: 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. |
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