Things to know about being a Volunteer Firefighter
The State of Ohio currently
requires that all Volunteer Firefighters have a Firefighter I
certification. To reach this level
requires 36 hours of classroom and hands on training followed by a state
certification test in the following subjects:
**In order to maintain this certification, the state requires 18
hours of refresher training each year.
In addition to
firefighting, the SVFD also provides First Response Emergency Medical Services
to our community. In order to be a
First Responder, the State requires 40 hours of training followed by a state
certification test in the following subjects:
**In order to maintain these certifications, the state requires 15
hours of refresher training in a 3-year period.
The
cost of training and equipment…
The
department covers the cost of all training and equipment needed to become a firefighter
and first responder. Just a few figures
to give you an idea of the expense involved.
·
Basic Fire Training -
$290.00 plus books
·
HazMat and WMD Awareness -
$100.00
·
First Response
Training - $290.00 plus books
That
covers training, now let’s talk about equipment for one firefighter.
·
Helmet with visor and
emergency light - $240.00
·
Nomex hood - $40.00
·
Turnout coat - $700.00
·
Turnout pants -
$550.00
·
Fire Boots - $250.00
·
Fire gloves - $40.00
·
Emergency Pager with
charging unit - $350.00
·
High Band Radio –
425.00
As
you can see, the cost of training and outfitting one firefighter is almost
$3000.00. If you add in the cost of
training this individual as a First Responder, the cost would be almost
$3500.00. As
expensive as this sounds, the cost of training and personal protective
equipment is a drop in the bucket when compared to the real cost of
firefighting which is Fire and Rescue vehicles.
Our
department currently has 7 fire and rescue apparatus, below is a list with the
approximate original purchase price and what it would cost to replace today:
Truck
Year
Original
Cost
Replacement
Cost
Engine
801
1996
$140,000 $195,000
Mini-Pumper
802
1979
$60,000 $155,000
Tanker
803
1984
$160,000 $250,000
Brush
Truck 804
1980
$24,000 $95,000
Rescue
805
1996
$45,000 $85,000
Jeep
806
1947
So
old, nobody knows $50,000
Air
Unit 807
2001
$14,000 $34,000
Totals
$443,000
$864,000
This represents the cost of the vehicles only.
When you buy a fire truck, that’s all you get. You must buy your own hose, ladders, tools, generators, lighting,
etc. Below is a list of general
equipment on a fire truck and what it cost:
·
750’ of 1 ¾” hose -
$1800
·
400’ of 2 ½” hose -
$1280
·
400’ of 3” hose -
$1600
·
1000’ of 5” hose -
$8200
·
Various hose tools,
adapters and fittings - $2500
·
Fire tools (pike
poles, halligans, axes, ladders, etc) - $3800
·
Generator - $3500
·
Lighting - $2400
·
Radios and
communications - $4300
·
Breathing Apparatus -
$22,000
·
Firefighting foam -
$300
This is the minimum equipment it takes to put a fire
truck in service. Below are some other
major purchases the department has made to enhance our service to you.
·
Breathing Air
compressor – 16,000
·
Jaws of Life and
related tools - $20,000
·
Automatic External
Defibrillator – $3500
·
Thermal Imaging Camera
- $12,500
So if we consider all these figures in today’s
dollars, here is a pretty close estimate of what it would cost to start a fire
department.
·
Basic cost for 7
Vehicles - $864,000
·
Getting them ready to
roll - $230,000
·
Other emergency
equipment - $55,000
·
Training and Equipment
for 30 firefighters - $105,000
· Basic Communications (Tower and Base Station) - $7500
Total -
$1,261,500
That’s a lot of money considering you still need to
buy a firehouse to keep all this stuff in.
Keeping a department running…
In addition to all this investment, it also takes
money to keep things going. Some of our
expenses include:
·
Utilities (Water, Gas,
Electricity)
·
Phones (1 Emergency, 1
Non-Emergency)
·
Insurance
·
Workers compensation
to protect our firemen
·
Fuel and Vehicle
Maintenance
·
Oxygen and Medical
Supplies
·
Fire Extinguishers and
Fire Fighting Foam
All this sounds expensive, and it is. Now you have to consider what we charge for
all the services we provide to the community…Absolutely
Nothing!
How we pay for it…
The Fire Department receives monies from fire levies
in the village of Senecaville and levies in Richland, Wayne, Seneca and Buffalo
Townships. The money from these levies
helps pay basic cost such as utilities, insurance and Workman’s Compensation. The fire levies have also helped with the
purchase of some of the equipment we use such as pagers, radios and the
breathing air compressor. Most of the
funding that supports the department is raised through the efforts of the
Firemen’s Association and Ladies Auxiliary, which raise these funds through
Saturday night Bingo. If not for the
money raised through Bingo, the department would not be able to afford new
equipment and the essential training needed to stay current with regulations.
What we do…
Obviously, we fight fires, but the department does a
lot more. We provide First Response
Emergency Medical Services to Senecaville and the surrounding townships. First Responders are the first link in the
EMS chain. When we arrive, we provide
basic life support, stabilize the patient, and have them ready to transport
when United arrives. Our goal is to
shorten the time it takes to get the patient to the closest trauma center. The most critical time for a patient is the
first hour. Because we are a rural
area, it is very important that we reduce the time United is on scene.
The Firemen’s Association and Ladies Auxiliary also
contribute to the community by sponsoring a Halloween Party and a Christmas
Party. The firemen also help with
Secret Santa in delivering gifts to the needy on Christmas Eve and the Easter
egg hunt in the village.
Sound interesting…
The Marines aren’t the only ones looking for a few
good men. The volunteer fire service is
always in need of people. What can you
expect? The pay is lousy
(nothing). The hours are terrible (most
accidents happen in the middle of the night or in terrible weather). The only reward you can expect is the thanks
of someone in need or your own self-satisfaction. Even with all the hard work and lousy hours, it is a rewarding
job.
If you think you may be interested in being a
volunteer fireman please talk to one of your local volunteer firemen or most
volunteer departments have monthly organizational meetings where you can get
more information. We meet on the first and
third Thursday of the month at the Firehouse at 7:00 pm.