vernonia rural fire protection district
may16
2019
7
Vernonia Rural Fire Protection District
Honoring our Veteran Firefighters
By Training Captain Will Steinweg
As you all know we have been training 12
new recruits here at Vernonia Fire. They have put
in countless hours of their own time to go through
classes and hands-on activities to get their Fire-
fighter certification. They have all individually
logged over 200 hours of training to get where they
are now, and have one more class to complete be-
fore they graduate from our fire academy. Many of
them are also going through EMT school to learn
more skills to further support the Fire Department
with our ever growing call volume.
What hasn’t been talked about much is the
volunteers that have been with the department for
many years. We have a great crew of core volun-
teers that have continued to answer the call for ser-
vice to their community for over 100 years com-
bined. We rely heavily on these eight volunteers to
not only continue their service, but also help train
our new recruits. They sacrifice many hours of
their lives to come to the station and help our new
volunteers learn the skills that they will need to be
successful in this demanding profession.
To put it into perspective for everyone that
is not familiar with the volunteer fire service, this
means that these volunteers have put in at least
12,240 hours of training in their careers as volun-
teer firefighters to just maintain a Firefighter 1 cer-
tification. Most of these individuals are certified
higher than a Firefighter 1 level which requires
even more hours of training to maintain all of their
certifications. They must have the same certifica-
tions as professional firefighters, but they don’t get
paid for what they do. These hours don’t include
the number of calls they go on every year, or the
time they spend out in the community for public
education. They also put countless hours into fun-
draising for their non-profit association. On top of
all that, they need to know every piece of equip-
ment and fire apparatus we have in the station,
how it operates, and when to use it, to do their job
efficiently.
As the Training Captain for Vernonia Fire,
I would like to recognize these individuals for all
they do and for the years of service they have pro-
vided to the Vernonia community.
Brandi Abney-18 years of service
Dean Smith-16 years of service
Kristina McCord-14 years of service
Thomas Moss-14 years of service
Loren Loomis-11 years of service
Dan Hanson-11 years of service
Jason Smith-9 years of service
Dawn Moss-9 years of service
Again, these individuals have sacrificed
hours of their lives to help this community and I
personally would like to thank all of them for the
service they have provided.
Recruitment/Retainment Corner
By Trish Smith
As some of you have seen
or heard around town, we have
recently completed Vernonia’s first
Fire Academy with our (12) new
recruits. These outstanding and very
brave individuals are usually already
volunteering at a different service
and are not easy to find in a small
rural community such as ours, but
once these fine folks hear about a
need, they really do come out of the
woodwork.
Once more we are looking
for some of Vernonia’s finest men
and women to again answer the
call. Let me say that the volunteer
fire department of today is much
different than the one of the past.
We have seen the fruits of our labor
from the change in culture here,
realizing that a healthy volunteer
pool comes as a result of a healthy
leadership group. Chief Smith and
Captain Steinweg have been focused
on providing for the broad spectrum
of needs that come with having this
large group of volunteers. These
include new personal protective
equipment, physical and mental
health awareness, training for
advancement, and incentives for our
top responders.
I have attended a couple of
training events at Oregon Department
of Public Safety Standards and
Training (DPSST) in Salem this
year, and have had the opportunity
to interact with volunteer firefighters
from all over the state. I see other
small-town,
rural
departments
having some of the same issues
with recruitment and retention that
we have had. However, I feel very
honored to play a part in the change
that has taken place here at VRFPD.
After taking a Recruitment and
Retention Coordinator Certification,
(RRC) course, I have been equipped
with the tools to help to streamline
on-boarding for new recruits.
The application process
has been tightened up to make our
expectations clear, and follow-
through with new members simpler.
Calls responded to April 1-30
Fire
Emergency Medical Service
Hazardous Condition
Service Call
Good Intent
Severe Weather & Natural Disaster
Special Incident
No Emergency Found
False Alarm
Total
1
33
0
7
1
0
0
0
2
44
We have some exciting new training
planned for this summer including,
an Emergency Medical Responder
(EMR) class for those 16 and over, a
babysitting class, wildland fire
awareness, and another fire academy,
as well as an ongoing rescue team
training that is open to the community.
The VRFPD really does have a lot to
offer.
If you have questions about
how to join our fire department or
volunteer ambulance and what we
have to offer, please call, text, or PM
me! Trish Smith (971) 203-4199
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
• 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)