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West Helena Valley Volunteer Fire District Introductory Manual for New Firefighters District Web
Page: www.westvalleyvfd.com A Welcome to New Fire Service Personnel: You have chosen to become part of a versatile, complex and rapidly changing profession, The Fire Service. Thus you have taken on a responsibility to your community that you can be proud of. The American concept of a government of the people, by the people and for the people is no better exemplified anywhere than in the fire service. Having accepted this responsibility, you have also accepted an obligation to your community which is never ending. You will start by learning your department’s organization and procedures which are essential for you to operate efficiently and productively. You will end your career by thinking you still have a lot to learn and you will be right. Having made the choice to join the fire service you will rapidly realize that firefighting methods undergo constant changes, improvements and revisions in order to successfully control situations it is called to handle. The hazards created from development of new chemicals, materials, machinery etc., are becoming constantly available in homes and businesses making it imperative that today’s firefighter spend a considerable amount of their time in training and study in order to understand the methods needed to control these hazards. You will discover that the fire service today has advanced considerably in efficiency and effectiveness since the days of the horsedrawn steamers and the bucket brigades. Today’s firefighting has received creditable recognition world wide as a technical and protective science. Its future is extremely important to the welfare of the nation. As such it deserves the best personnel available. The fire service demands much from those who would successfully follow it as a volunteer. It offers a life’s work of rewarding service toward the safety of your community. As a volunteer you are expected to follow the department’s rules and regulations and conduct yourself accordingly. Citizens watch our actions and they must be proud of us. The actions of a single firefighter will often reflect good or bad upon the entire department. The close fellowship that is a tradition in our fire department will quickly become evident to you. The high moral of people doing a job well will be noticeable to you. Your fellow firefighters will cooperate with you to help you learn as quickly as possible. We are all volunteers and you will be expected to devote yourself not only to your regular job, but to that of becoming a good firefighter. The ambitious firefighter who is loyal, and takes pride in their department, who trains and studies diligently to master the vast stores of fire knowledge available will become not only a good firefighter but a successful one. Welcome To the Fire Service... Our Future Depends On You!!! Fellow Citizens:As Chief of the West Helena Valley Volunteer Fire District, I am committed to providing the most effective and efficient fire emergency service delivery system in our area. You will find that participation as a volunteer member of our service will bring personal rewards and satisfaction, raise self-esteem, and give you a tremendous sense of accomplishment for a job well done. It will also provide your community with a valuable service that has the potential to touch us all. However, service as a volunteer member in our department requires a serious commitment. Your decision to join us should not be made quickly. This booklet has been developed to provide the information needed to help you make that decision. Once you understand what is involved in being a volunteer member of our department, I hope you will conclude that you are able to make the commitment we need. The service provided by our volunteers is truly valuable to the citizens of our area, and I hope you find that you are able to contribute to our public safety. Sincerely, Jerry Shepherd, Fire Chief MISSION STATEMENTThe fire and rescue service is one of the most diverse and challenging professions known today. It is this diversity that inspires most men and women to enter the service. Imagine having to train to prepare yourself to cope with situations which range from burning fires to childbirth to hazardous chemical spills to heart attacks and almost any imaginable emergency situation in-between. This diversity is coupled with the fact that these skills may be needed at any time of day, seven days a week, in any kind of weather, and very often under potentially stressful and emotional circumstances. These factors contribute to our profession being personally rewarding. Our missions are life safety, fire extinguishment, hazardous materials mitigation, emergency medical & rescue. We prepare ourselves to control these situations when the need arises. This is done through education, training, pre-incident planning, more training, state-of-the-art equipment, and more training. We are a paramilitary profession working in a “hurry up and wait” environment. This business is not for everyone. You need
more then just a desire to help people. You also need courage and dedication,
assertiveness, and a willingness to learn new skills and face new challenges. The fire rescue
service is not for the meek or timid or for those who loose control of their
emotions during times of crisis. Our service is one which calls on its members
to perform hot, sweaty, dirty, strenuous work, often in uncertain environments.
The bottom line in our business is measured by the loss of life, pain and suffering, and property damage we have prevented and reduced. We are here and prepared for one reason and that is to provide service to the people. If you feel you have what it takes to meet the challenges of our business, we welcome you to join us. West Helena Valley Fire DistrictWest Helena Valley Volunteer Fire District is located north of the City of Helena, Montana. The Fire District covers approximately 55 square miles and serves a population base of approximately 20,000 people. The District provides fire, rescue, hazardous materials responses and emergency medical services to the community. The District is known for its quiet neighborhoods and rural way of life. This quality of life attracts many people. The past 20 years has seen a large growth in newly built suburban residential areas and the future looks for more growth. The District was established in 1959 and has grown into three fire stations strategically located to provide rapid response. In September of 1990 the District took possession of a newly constructed fire station located at 7900 N. Montana, then April of 1999 again the District took possession of another new station that being Station 1 on Forestvale Road. Ten pieces of firefighting equipment are currently operated by the District. All equipment is complimented as required for effective fire fighting and life safety. The District took delivery on a new 1,250 GPM fire engine in February 1992. Thirty West Helena Valley residents are presently serving as firefighters. The Fire Department is organized under a chief, assistant chief and 3 fire captains. Other personnel are assigned specific duties in other areas. The Fire District is heavily committed to training and last year each firefighter averaged 114 hours of training. All firefighters carry pagers and are dispatched through a 911 emergency services division of the Lewis & Clark Sheriffs Department. The District maintains an active mutual aid agreement with 7 other fire districts and fire departments. The Fire District is a taxpayer owned service established under the laws of the State of Montana. The financial operation is managed by a five member Board of Trustees elected at large from residents within the district. They serve a three year term. The current taxable valuation of the district is $ 9.5 M. The coming year will see a Fire District that is an active, viable, vital part of the community and an agency that is willing to step into new areas to serve the community. The West Helena Valley Volunteer Fire District would like to extend its thanks to the West Valley residents for their continued support over the past 41 years. Emergency Response Data
Fire District OrganizationBoard of Trustees:The West Helena Valley Fire District is governed by a five member elected Board of Trustees. Each member is elected to a three year term. The Trustees have the authority to provide firefighting apparatus, equipment and facilities; theirs is the ultimate responsibility for the District. They meet on the Thursday following the second Tuesday of each month at 7:00 P.M. at Station 1. A copy of Board Policies is located at Station 1. OperationsOperations are the section of the fire district which is responsible to respond to emergency calls within the District and to calls of mutual assistance from other fire organizations. Line officers for the department are as follows: Fire Chief: Jerry Shepherd Other operations officers: Training Officer: Mike Anderson Firefighter BusinessThe firefighters conduct their business meeting on the second Tuesday of each month at 7:30 P.M. at the main station. President: Jerry Sorensen 1st Tuesday of the month @ 19:00: Clean Up. MANDATORY 2nd Tuesday @ 19:00: Business meeting. MANDATORY 3rd Tuesday @ 19:00: EMS Training 4th Tuesday @ 19:00: Fire Training. MANDATORY Rules and Regulations1. Policies & Procedures set by Board of Trustees. 2. Standard Operations Guidelines required of West Valley Fire District for responding to any emergency incident. A copy is in Station 1 Chiefs desk. A firefighter must: (1) read the manual thoroughly soon after becoming a firefighter, (2) have any questions clarified regarding procedures and responsibilities, (3) refer to this manual as a reference whenever there is a question. 3. Training Evolutions describe how the District will conduct evolutions. 4. General Orders cover all aspects of the operations of the Fire District. Read and start to become familiar with these! Volunteer Firefighter Bill Of Rights
Mutual Aid TrainingTraining Officer: Mike Anderson The key to the success of a fire department is training. Therefore West Valley places the utmost importance on training. Training times: Emergency Medical Services (EMS) |
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