Membership

You will begin your path to becoming a department member under probationary status. The only required training to reach active member status is the completion of four selected FEMA National Incident Management System (NIMS) and Incident Command System (ICS) courses including:

• ICS-100: Introduction to the Incident Command System

• ICS-200: ICS for Single Resources and Initial Action Incidents

• IS-700: National Incident Management System, An Introduction

• IS-800: National Response Framework, An Introduction

These courses introduce you to the command and operation structure used on any incident of any size. Part of our department funding requires that our members have ICS training. We are often requested to work with other agencies for larger incidents in and around our district, and the ICS system allows all fire, EMS, law enforcement, and many other agencies to work as a seamless whole.

ICS courses are free, and can be completed online in just a few hours. Once you finish the courses, you will receive certificates of completion that you must share with a department Officer. This demonstrates your commitment to the department and ability to meet the minimum basic requirements. Your probationary period will be eligible for expiration, and you can be added to the roster and may continue with additional fire and/or EMS training.

During your initial time with the department, you should write down the information you hear (e.g., location, nature of the incident, etc.) when we receive a call. Keep a small notepad with you at all times, and respond to the station calmly and safely to receive your assignment.

YOU MUST NOT VIOLATE ANY TRAFFIC RULES AND REGULATIONS. It can be difficult fighting the urge to rush to the station, but you cannot become another victim, or worse yet, cause someone else to become a victim. Any reports of unsafe driving when responding will result in disciplinary action or possible dismissal from the department.

Once you arrive at the station, check in with the highest-ranking person. You may be given one of several tasks, such as staying at the station and working dispatch. You may be asked to respond to the scene in a department vehicle, or even your own vehicle. You may even be asked to remain on stand-by. Understand that anything that is assigned to you is just as important as any other — it takes many people doing many different tasks to get the job done safely and efficiently. Do not feel like you were given a lesser task, especially at first. EVERY task is important, and you should perform the duty assigned to you to the best of your abilities.

As you spend time and gain experience with the department, you will be granted more and more autonomy. There may even come a time when you are on your own as the lone responder to an incident, but we certainly won’t let that happen until we feel you are ready.

As always, the number one goal is your personal safety. If you are not comfortable with an assignment, the scene doesn’t seem safe, and/or you just don’t feel ready for it, do not hesitate to speak up. Learning to remain calm and rely on your training is the only way to maintain safety for yourself, your teammates, and the public at large. As you master that, you will find your confidence reaching higher and higher levels, and your ability to manage very dangerous and stressful situations will amaze you.

When the call is over and the excitement is wearing off, remember that the work is not done…

After each call, we must inspect the vehicles, restock any used supplies, repair or replace damaged equipment, and do any number of things before the vehicle can be considered back in service. This can often be hard to do — especially after a long or difficult call — but we have to make sure we are ready for the next call which can come at any time.

A good deal of your training will focus on these sorts of tasks. Understand that this is the stuff that they don’t show in the TV shows and the movies, but it is absolutely vital that this work is done. In all honesty, the time spent on a call is only a fraction of the total time you will spend as an emergency responder. We still find ways to make this work fun, work it into training exercises, and so on. Be aware that it exists, and that you are expected to help with this type of work rather than just heading home right after the call.

We have reports to write as well…many, many reports! We must document each call in multiple ways, and we must document every single action that was performed, by whom, and what the results of those actions were. These reports are legal documents that can be called into court proceedings at any time as a record of what we did and/or didn’t do, sometimes years down the road.

You should get in the habit very early on to keep your own notes of what you did while on calls (again, keep that little notepad handy). You will get training on documentation, taking notes, writing reports, and every other aspect of keeping a fire department in top operational condition.

On average, we run about 70% medical emergency calls and about 30% fire-related calls. Although we get more medical than fire incidents, we do ask that your next phase of training be wildland firefighting. The main reason behind this being the course is available online and can be taken at any time, at your own pace.

The wildland course we start with consists of several courses taught as one and is offered by the National Wildfire Coordinating Group. You must be affiliated with a fire department or other fire suppression agency to apply. It consists of S-190 Introduction to WIldland Fire Behavior , S-130 Basic Wildland Firefighting (both are online classes), a Field Day where you will take part in exercises and hands-on training scenarios, fire shelter training, and other activities, and finally an optional Pack Test that serves as a physical assessment of your strength and stamina toward firefighting safety.

The online courses can be done in about a week if your time permits. We offer an annual Field Day training in the spring, and the Pack Test may be scheduled on an as-needed basis.

Once you successfully complete this initial training, we will work with you to maintain your certification on an annual basis and complete the requirements for a Red Card and Task Book if you desire to do so. A Task Book serves as your permanent career record. Each fire or incident you work allows you to add skills to this book, along with any further training you may wish to accomplish. There are literally hundreds of tasks and courses you can take as you move up and gain experience fighting wildland fires. If you are considering a paid career in firefighting, this Task Book is your gateway!

In order to be allowed to fight fires, you must complete your initial training and obtain your Red Card. Once you have started the training, you may go on fire calls as an observer only at the discretion of a department Officer, and only with an Officer or experienced and authorized firefighter.

Although structure fires don’t occur very often in our district, we train for and are equipped to respond when they do. In most certification programs, Firefighter I and HazMat Operations/Awareness are taught together in a Fire Academy setting as career firefighters are required to obtain both certificates. If you are interested in attending a local Fire Academy as a representative of MCVFD, you must obtain permission from the Chief to attend.

Fire Academy consists of rigorous mental and physical training. Candidates are required to complete several hours of coursework both inside and outside of the classroom, as well as under potentially stressful conditions within a live burn environment, confined spaces, and substantial heights. It is a huge commitment to complete Fire Academy, which is why we are very selective about which members attend on our behalf.

Officers who have been through this training will be happy to assist those who do attend with their studies, practice, and any general questions that occur throughout the process. Both the Firefighter I and HazMat Operations/Awareness certifications are issued through the Colorado Division of Fire Prevention & Control on a three-year renewal cycle.

MCVFD is a non-transporting, Basic Life Support (BLS) agency. This means we do not practice Paramedic-level medicine, nor do we have the equipment to do so. We partner with Ute Pass Regional Ambulance District (UPRAD) to provide Advanced Life Support (ALS) services. Most of our medical calls will see UPRAD arriving on scene soon after us. We also deal with many medical helicopter flights since we are so far from any advanced trauma centers.

You may begin serving on medical calls almost immediately, as long as you are accompanied by an Officer or other authorized department member. You may NOT make any patient contact, unless specifically asked to do so by your on-scene supervisor. There are many tasks required on the scene of a medical response besides assisting the patient, such as traffic control, assisting with setting up a helicopter landing zone, gathering equipment and supplies, and so on. We guarantee you will get plenty of experience even before you get any medical training.

The most basic level of training we require in order for you to make patient contact is the Emergency Medical Responder (EMR; formerly known as First Responder). We would like to see you eventually become an Emergency Medical Technician (EMT), or you may even skip EMR and go straight to EMT level. We cover all the costs of this training for you upon successful completion. If you wish to seek a paid career in fire and/or EMS, becoming an EMT is a huge step forward.

Both EMR and EMT are nationally accredited courses managed under the National Registry of Emergency Medical Technicians (NREMT). Once you complete the course and pass both a written test and a hands-on skills assessment lab, you receive your NREMT certification and can obtain a state license to practice as a medical responder. This certification is good for two years. In order to maintain your certification, you must attend a certain number of Continuing Education (CE) classes every year. Our partners at UCHealth work with us to provide this CE training for you. Training is free to attend and is very beneficial to keeping your skills and knowledge sharp.

Every Thursday evening, MCVFD hosts a meeting or training session. You will be required to attend a certain number of these sessions in order to pass from your initial probationary status.

The first Thursday of every month is the Mountain Communities Fire Protection District (MCFPD) Board meeting, followed by the department business meeting. Any department member may attend these meetings, but they are not meant for training purposes.

On the third Thursday of every month, we have Continuing Education medical training. These sessions are set up by the UCHealth EMS education staff and hosted at Station 2 in Westcreek. These classes count toward those with EMR or EMT certifications. Even if you do not have medical certification, these training sessions are VERY IMPORTANT to attend. Everyone will learn critical skills and assessment methods, and we get the opportunity to have case reviews of actual calls we have run on.

The remaining Thursdays and an occasional Saturday are typically for fire-related training. They cover operation of vehicles and equipment, wildland and structural firefighting training, drills and mock scenarios, case studies, and so on. Each fire and medical training you attend will award you credits. The more you can attend, the better trained you will become, and the more you will be allowed to do when on a call. Soon, there will come a point where we have full confidence in you, you have full confidence in yourself, and you may be driving a vehicle to an incident and setting up command!

Once you complete a certain number of training sessions, pass your probationary period, and begin the path toward fire or medical certifications, we will begin to issue a department shirt, radio, and Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) to you. At this point, you will have become a full member of the department with your name on the active roster.