What it's like being a Part-Time Firefighter for Shawnee County Fire District #1?
Who is
Shawnee County Fire District #1?
We are a group of dedicated people committed to providing emergency fire and
medical services to the citizens of Grove, Menoken, and Silver Lake Townships
and the city of Silver Lake.
How
many people are on the fire department?
We currently have one full-time paid person who works Mon-Fri from 8 am to
4 pm and 20 part-time employees.
Who
can become a member?
Anyone between the ages of 18 and 65. We also have a cadet program for youth 14
to 17. We have something to do for everyone!
What
is the application process like?
You will need to do the following:
Complete and return an
application
Meet the approval of the Membership
Committee
Complete a
physical agility test
How
many hours would I have to put in?
We have 3 hour training sessions on the 2nd and 4th Monday evenings of each
month. Each member is expected to respond to at least 20% of all calls and 50%
of all trainings. In 2019 we responded to 329 calls so 20% of that is
approximately 65 calls.
Am I
expected to respond while I'm at work?
No. Although we have a few people whose employers do allow them to respond
during work hours, the vast majority respond during their off hours.
Am I
on call during certain hours or on certain days?
Our
department does not have set shifts where we require people to be on call. If
you are able to respond, we'd love to see you at the scene. We understand that
people have other responsibilities and if we arrive on a scene and find that we
don't have enough people, we will call for mutual aid from a neighboring
district.
What
type of training will I receive?
Each new
member of the department is required to go through 20 hours of initial recruit
training. We have various types of training taught on the 2nd and 4th Mondays
of each month. You will also be required to maintain a current CPR and hazardous
material awareness level training which are both taught in-house. You will also
have the opportunity to attend training taught outside the department such as
emergency medical training, regional and state fire schools, and the National
Fire Academy.
How
soon would I be able to respond to calls?
After your
20 hours of initial training are complete, you will receive your protective gear
and pager and can respond to calls as they are paged out.
When
can I start driving the fire trucks?
All of our members must maintain a good drivers record.
We will train you to drive the trucks and give you a defensive driving course.
After completing training and practice, you will be allowed to drive. We pride
ourselves on proceeding to and arriving at a scene in a safe manner.
Will I
be expected to go into burning buildings after my initial training?
NO! All
trainee members of the department are issued a black helmet that clearly
identifies them as being a new member of the department. You will remain a
trainee for a minimum of one year. During that first year you will be performing most other
actions on any emergency scene. You will never be made to nor you should ever attempt to do anything that
you don't feel comfortable doing.
Am
I covered by insurance?
Yes. All members are covered by worker's compensation insurance for on-duty
accidents. We are also covered by $165,000 in life insurance by state and
federal agencies for line-of-duty deaths. The firefighter's relief association
also carries disability insurance and a $25,000 permanent life insurance policy
that is in effect around the clock. The permanent life insurance policy is
yours to keep after 10 years on the department. The good news is that we have
not had a firefighter seriously injured that resulted in lost time in over 20
years.
If you have any other questions, just give us a call or stop by the fire department. You can download and print an application here.
Shawnee County Fire District #1
"Silver Lake Fire"
218 W. Railroad
Silver Lake, Kansas 66539
(785) 582 4667
Info@SilverLakeFire.com