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About Vernonia's voice. (Vernonia, OR) 2007-current | View Entire Issue (Jan. 17, 2019)
vernonia rural fire protection district january17 2019 17 Vernonia Rural Fire Protection District Toy and Joy Helps Local Children Once again, the most wonderful time of the year has come and gone so quickly. Which means that Toy and Joy will rest for another year, until it is time to start all over again next November. For 2018, Vernonia Toy and Joy helped over 150 children. Although this is about 100 kids less than last year, it’s still a significant amount of the commu- nity we get to help. 2018 was the best year of donations provided by the community, and it was appreciated beyond words. But with the words I can use, a huge thank you to Vernonia Volunteer Fire Association, Vernonia Volunteer Ambulance Associa- tion, Girl Scout Troop 45487, the Verno- nia Freewheelers, and every individual that donated toys and time. It’s because of the help of each community member that Toy and Joy runs the way it does. Here is to hoping 2019 is just as great. Thank you and Happy New Year. ~Bailey Wegner, Toy and Joy Chairman Training New Firefighters to Serve Our Community By Captain Will Steinweg In the world of firefighting ev- erything is evolving. Fires are burning hotter and faster, cars are being made more electric, and call volumes are ris- ing. With all the changes that are hap- pening around us we have to evolve our training as well to be ready for anything. In 2018 alone Vernonia Rural Fire Protection District ran a total of 710 calls for service, beating the previous year by 80 calls. Combined, our volun- teers have spent 1,363 hours on these calls for the year. Yes, most of these calls were medical, but with an increase in call volume comes the increased chance of a structure fire, car crash, or even a water rescue. VRFPD went out on two water rescues in 2018. With our call numbers on the rise and the evolution of the world around us we have stepped up our training program. VRFPD and I were fortunate enough that our voters passed a tax levy three years ago to hire me as the department’s Training Captain to do just that. And I am proud to say that our volunteers are stepping up to the plate and logged a combined 2,119 hours of training in 2018. To put 2,119 hours into perspec- tive for you, that is equivalent to just over 88 days of training. Volunteers for your Fire District have given up the equiva- lent of 88 days of their year to train to better serve their community. I can’t say it’s an easy thing to do. With lives get- ting busier and having a family at home, it’s tough to devote that much time to volunteer. And somehow we have been Vernonia Rural Fire Could Use Your Help! Recently we have received some inquiries from the public concerning volunteer opportunities with the depart- ment. We do have several areas where we could use an extra hand from any in- terested citizens from our community. We realize that not everyone is cut out for becoming a firefighter, with all of the training requirements and per- sonal time commitments, so we have come up with some areas where you can volunteer to help us out, without having to go through a lot of training and time away from your families. If you are interested in learning more about the areas where we could use your help, contact the Fire Chief. We could use some volunteers to help with: • Answering Phones • Filing Paperwork • Public Education Program • Grant Writing • Computer Data Entry • Station/Grounds Maintenance • Fire Prevention Program • Address Program In addition, VRFPD is also seeking a Public Information Officer. If you are looking for a way to volunteer some time to the fire department with- out having to go through a lot of train- ing, this just might be the opportunity you’ve been looking for. Do you have a background in writing? Speaking? Web- site management? Do you like to think outside the box and be challenged? The hours are malleable and we would love to add you to our fire family. For details about the position please contact Chief Smith at (503) 429- 8252. blessed to get 12 new volunteers into our program. These 12 have been spending the last four months going through our in-house recruit academy. Each of them has put in over 100 hours of training in the last four months and they still have two more weekends to finish before they graduate. What is our training like? It de- pends on where the volunteer wants to fit into the department. Yes, this is fire department training, but we have many roles for different people to fit into. We train on everything from firefight- ing techniques and strategies, to patient care, to cutting people out of cars. We have also enlisted the help of Mist- Birkenfeld’s Fire personnel to help in- struct some rope rescue training as well as help with our recruit academy. We do our best to be flexible with training as well. If one of our volunteers misses training they have options to make up those training hours. We have an on- line program that lets them pick from an assortment of classes they can take or they can come up to the station and work through the drill on a different day. Most of our training is being done in-house, but we also give our volunteers the opportunity to go out to other classes around the state. This not only gives them the chance to learn, but it also gives them the chance to network with personnel from other departments that may be having problems similar to ours, or ideas on what we could do better as a department. Maybe it’s just chang- ing a hose load to be more effective and efficient on the fire ground. We have a few volunteers signed up to go to Sa- lem in February for Winter Fire School which is put on by Oregon’s Department of Public Safety Standards and Training. They will spend the weekend in class and gain some great knowledge from National Fire Academy instructors while also being able to network with fire per- sonnel from around the state. After this small glimpse into what we do as a Fire District to serve our community, there’s really no better way to see first-hand than to come up to the fire station and grab an applica- tion to volunteer. And the next time you see one of our volunteers stop and chat with them about the department or thank them for the time they spent training to become a better firefighter. If you have any questions on volunteering, or what we do, come up and see us or give us a call (503) 429- 8252. VOLUNTEERS WANTED VERNONIA RURAL FIRE PROTECTION DISTRICT VRFPD is currently accepting applications for Volunteer Fire Fighters • You must have a High School Diploma or G.E.D., a valid Oregon Driver’s License, and be at least 18 years of age Calls responded to December 1-31 Fire Emergency Medical Service Hazardous Condition Service Call Good Intent Severe Weather & Natural Disaster Special Incident No Emergency Found False Alarm Total 3 38 4 13 3 0 0 0 2 64 • Currently, you must be able to attend weekly training on Monday nights Here’s What We Do! • Willing to attend the Fire Academy • Live or work (employer willing to let you respond to calls) within VRFPD’s District VRFPD 555 E. Bridge St. Vernonia, OR 97064 503-429-8252 • Applications can be picked up at the Fire Station VRFPD FIRE CHIEF Earl Dean Smith dc4502@yahoo.com 503-709-8821 (cell) 503-429-8252 (office)
