Fire Corps
 The Department of Homeland Security officially launched the Fire Corps program on Dec. 9, 2004. This program was designed to encourage active citizen support of volunteer and career fire departments. Homeland Security created the program to support fire departments across the country by leveraging community volunteer efforts to handle non-emergency activities, thereby enabling fire service personnel to focus more fully on acute emergency tasks.
The Green Valley Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) in conjunction with the Green Valley Fire District decided to create the Green Valley Fire Corps program in 2006. Within the Green Valley Fire District this now translates to Fire Corps assistance in numerous office administrative duties and responding to a multitude of non-emergency calls. Fire Corps tasks now include:
- Receiving and directing phone calls, office data entry, report generation and filing.
- Performing residential safety inspections within the District.
- Relocating desert pests (snakes, lizards, toads, etc.).
- Checking and replacing residential smoke detector batteries.
- Clearing fire hydrants and replacing damaged road reflectors.
- Installing residential safe-entry lock boxes.
. In addition, Fire Corps has filled a critical need in many other areas of district operations:
- Deliver the interdepartmental mail and Fire Station supplies.
- Assisting with the shuttling of apparatus and equipment..
- Assisting with the updating of District Map Books.
- Printing the Fire District's photo ID cards.
- Repairing the District's non-functioning apparatus emergency lights.
Fire Corps' presence has made it possible to keep larger District fire trucks off the street and available for more critical incidents. This results in substantial savings in equipment wear and tear and fuel usage. The District continues to find ways to involve Fire Corps in their system and the Corps continues to respond with positive and helpful attitudes.
The now than more 50 Fire Corps members have completed approximately 20 hours of classroom training along with a similar amount of specialized on-the-job practical exposure. This training is all done in-house by GVFD personnel and includes office procedures for Fire Corps' Administrative Section, driver operations, radio procedures, desert pest handling, computer use and report preparation for the Field Operations Section.
At the present time, the Green Valley Fire District is looking to continue to build on the successful program which began in July 2006. Fire Corps is working well for the GVFD and provides a valuable service to the area residents.
Fire Corps member Brook Podesta conducts a home safety inspection.
Fire Corps member Denny Mart assists in HQ Administration tasks.
|
