Tualatin Valley Fire and Rescue is looking for a few good men and women who are willing to donate their time and help serve their community as volunteer firefighters for our Core Volunteer program. This exciting opportunity gives members of the general public the chance to give back to their community by protecting their neighbors and helping to educate fellow citizens about fire and medical safety.
TVF&R has one of the largest and most active volunteer fire departments in the state. Volunteers help paid firefighters by staffing rehabilitation units at major incidents and cover fire stations when paid firefighters are assigned elsewhere. They participate in fire and EMS related drills year round and play an active role in the District’s public education program.
This year, TVF&R has made some changes to its program. TVF&R now offers two facets to its volunteer program, the “Core” program and the “Auxiliary” program.
Core volunteers will be trained to respond to emergencies. They will have to attend the Volunteer Fire Academy, attain an EMT-Basic certification and attend weekly drills.
Auxiliary volunteers are NON-emergency response volunteers. They work as a part of our dedicated team of professionals. Auxiliary volunteers may work once or twice a week or even a few times each year, depending on their area of interest and commitment. Duties include community service and public education. They will participate in community events such as parades, educational booths and community events.
All volunteers must be 18 years old, be a high school graduate or have an equivalent certificate, pass a criminal background check and live within TVF&R’s service area.
Currently, TVF&R is recruiting only for the Core program.
Want to learn more? Check out our program online at: http://www.tvfr.com/careers/volunteer.aspx
Meet our Volunteers
Mike Berry
Mike Berry spends his days wearing a tie and working as a benefits consultant for a major company in TVF&R’s service area. “But I’ve always admired firefighters,” Berry adds, “so I thought I’d give it a shot.”
Berry started as a volunteer three years ago after learning about TVF&R’s program through a business relationship. Berry had no previous fire or medical experience. “I wanted to give back to my community,” Berry says, “and frankly, it’s just a whole lot of fun.”
Berry is part of the Core Volunteer program. He spends most Tuesday nights drilling with fellow volunteers and responds to fires, where he helps rehabilitate firefighters.
“Being in the business world I could be on the board of directors or finance committee for all kinds of organizations,” Berry says, “but this is a way to give back that’s more hands on. I get to help the everyday citizen, and that’s why I do it.”
Jeff Baker
Jeff Baker has dreamed of being a firefighter ever since he was a young boy. Today, he helps staff Engine 362 and wears a TVF&R uniform in his free time while juggling two jobs, one at a call center for a phone company and the other at the auto detail shop he owns.
“This is a dream for me,” Baker says as he walks around Engine 362, “I always knew this is what I wanted to do when I grew up.”
Baker and the other TVF&R volunteers respond to major fires and incidents staffing “rehab units,” which help firefighters rehydrate and cool off after working on an incident. He and the other volunteers occasionally act as back-up firefighters when paid firefighters are assigned to other calls outside of their station’s neighborhoods.
“Volunteering gives me a really a great feeling,” Baker says, “I like going to community events and teaching the public about fire safety.”
Baker attended his first fire academy elsewhere, but says his best training came from TVF&R’s volunteer academy. He’s now applying for full-time firefighting jobs.
“Someday, I want to be a full time paid firefighter for TVF&R,” Baker says, “in the mean-time it’s great to give back to my community as a volunteer.”
