vernonia rural fire protection district
november21
2019
7
Vernonia Rural Fire Protection District
VRFPD Hires Volunteer
Recruitment and Retention Coordinator
Birkenfeld RFPD.
The addition of this part-time
position does two things for both dis-
tricts. First we have someone whose sole
responsibility is to look at new ways to
encourage community members to come
in and be a part of the Fire Department.
Second is to be the go-to person for all of
our current members - someone to help
them achieve their goals in both Fire and
Emergency Medical Services, and make
sure that we as a Fire District are meet-
ing the needs of our members.
Vernonia Fire District respond-
ed to 740 emergency calls in 2018 with
a 90% volunteer firefighting force.
With the decline of volunteer firefight-
In cooperation with the Mist-
Birkenfeld Rural Fire Protection District
(RFPD), through an Inter-governmental
Agreement (IGA), the Vernonia Fire
District has been able to bring on a part-
time coordinator to assist in recruiting
new volunteer members to join both dis-
tricts with the goal of increasing the abil-
ity to provide service to our citizens.
On November 5 Vernonia Fire
District welcomed new Volunteer Re-
cruitment and Retention Coordina-
tor Rob Davis to the department. Rob
brings nearly 20 years of Fire, Rescue,
and EMS experience working in both the
public and private arenas. Rob is also a
Volunteer Firefighter with the Mist-
ers across the nation, positions like the
Volunteer Coordinator are becoming
more and more prevalent in volunteer
and combination career and volunteer
departments.
If you are interested in serving
the communities of Vernonia or Mist-
Birkenfeld please come in to the fire sta-
tions, meet the wonderful people, and fill
out an application!
Driver Training
In mid-October, Vernonia RFPD and Mist-
Birkenfeld RFPD teamed up to put on a National Fire
Protection Association (NFPA) Apparatus Operator
class. This weekend class was a 16 hour course that
teaches emergency driving skills to the volunteers in
our area. We were fortunate enough to have 12 volun-
teers take the class between the two Fire Districts.
The first part of the class was an eight hour
classroom portion where the students learned about
vehicle checks and maintenance, vehicle weight and
dimensions, stopping distances, and defensive driving.
The second eight hour portion of the class was drive
time for the volunteers. They drove through a cone
course set up in a way to imitate everyday obstacles.
The students were evaluated during this portion of the
course by set criteria.
This course was the first driver course put on
by the Vernonia RFPD in at least five years. Soon we
will have a Pump/Operator class to certify our newer
personnel to drive and pump our fire apparatus during
fire ground operations.
If you have any interest in joining in on some
of this training come down and see us at the fire station.
‘Tis The Season
By Bailey Wegner
Toy and Joy Chair
The most wonderful time of the
year is around the corner once again.
However, for some, the most wonderful
time of year is the most stressful. With
the cost of items increasing in the blink
of an eye, our wallets become pinched
and we become worried. Instead of en-
joying our time with our families, we are
worried about how we are going to sup-
ply them with the things they may want
or need.
Luckily, in our small town, the
Vernonia Fire Association has tried to
help take that stress away from fami-
lies. With the help of donations from our
community, we have been able to help
give the children of Vernonia toys for
Christmas. The day after Thanksgiving,
our donation barrels go around to vari-
ous locations throughout town to collect
new, unwrapped toys for us to be able to
give out. If you are wanting to donate,
we are needing things for the teenagers
of the town.
Alongside the barrels are the ap-
plications. We ask questions about age
and interests so that we can try and sup-
ply the correct items for the children. In
order to receive toys, the applications
need to be filled out completely and
turned in on time. The applications are
due December 18. Applications turned
in after the 18 th will not be guaranteed
toys. We try our best to fill the commu-
nity’s needs, but it is stressful on us re-
ceiving late applications and not having
the correct amount of toys. Applications
are processed, toys are wrapped, and de-
livered before Christmas day. The date
of pick up and delivery will be on the
applications.
This year, as an incentive to do-
nate, Robyn at the Simply Beautiful and
Handsome Boutique will be giving 10%
off discounts at the store for customers
who donate new, unwrapped toys. We
love seeing the community help us with
this project and could not do it without
everyone.
The Vernonia Fire Association
and the Vernonia Ambulance Associa-
tion work hand in hand to make Toy and
Joy happen for our community, and pride
themselves in taking care of the commu-
nity in more ways than one. However,
our helping hands numbers are running
low, and we are always looking for vol-
unteers. Firefighter and EMT applica-
tions are always available at the station,
but around the holidays we are always
looking for holiday helpers. We can sign
off for community service hours and we
always have fun. We are here to serve
and help the community and appreciate
all the help we can get. ‘Tis the season to
help.
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
Calls responded to October 1-31
Fire
Emergency Medical Service
Hazardous Condition
Service Call
Good Intent
False Alarm
Total
2
48
1
7
0
1
59
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)