Applications now sought for all fire departments
BY SUN STAFF
The fire departments of Blaine Country will accept applications to be sponsored to take the International Fire Service Accreditation Congress-accredited Firefighter I Fire Academy exams and be brought on as paid on-call volunteer firefighters with their department through Wednesday, Nov. 30.
From fighting fires and taking care of the sick, to rescuing injured people from the backcountry, local firefighters are skilled and passionate about keeping the Wood River Valley safe. If you have ever wished you could do more to help during an emergency, now is your chance.
Prospective applicants are welcome to come by their local fire station, log on to the website or call for more information. Applications can be picked up at the main stations for each department:
Bellevue Fire Department, 115 E. Pine Street, Bellevue (208) 788-9277
Carey Fire Department, 20552 N. Main Street, Carey (208) 720-2076
Hailey Fire Department, 617 S. 3rd Avenue, Hailey (208) 788-3147
Ketchum Fire Department, 480 N. East Avenue, Ketchum (208) 726-7805
Sun Valley Fire Department, 100 Arrowleaf, Elkhorn (208) 622-8234
West Magic Fire District, 960 West Magic Rd., #56, Shoshone (208) 487-2288
Wood River Fire and Rescue, 117 E. Walnut Street, Hailey (208) 788-5577
Paid on-call firefighters are compensated for their time responding to calls and participating in training. This position is for individuals who care about their community and can commit the necessary time to train and respond to emergency incidents, roughly 100 hours a year.
“As a paid on-call volunteer, you train with all members of the department and respond to calls when you are available to help,” said Richard Feldman, a volunteer firefighter and EMT for 22 years with the Ketchum Fire Department. “It is an incredibly satisfying way to give back to the community and, frankly, it’s a lot of fun, too.”
Those selected will be sponsored to take the nationally certified Firefighter I Academy exam, to be held in the Wood River Valley. The 180-hour class will start Wednesday, Jan. 18 and will run through May.
“The class is intense and requires a large time commitment on the part of our cadets,” said Mike Huntsman, Wood River Fire & Rescue lieutenant and Fire Academy lead instructor. “But you come out of the academy prepared to be an integral part of our emergency response team.”
Cadets will take part in classroom and hands-on sessions learning everything from fire behavior and extinguishment to how to properly perform a multi-story rescue. After successfully completing the training, the students will be brought on as probationary firefighters, capable of responding to all types of fire incidents and assisting with emergency medical calls.
The departments currently have a solid group of responders and are hoping to increase that number to better serve the public and allow their members to safely do the job.
“Our Valley learned how thinly stretched we are when incidents like the Beaver Creek Fire happen,” Ketchum Fire Chief Mike Elle said. “Even on our daily incidents, to safely and effectively handle our communities’ emergencies, our departments depend on the additional response from our volunteer members.”
Firefighter/EMTs are trained to extinguish fires, treat the sick and injured, cut people out of cars, rescue people from the backcountry, deal with hazardous incidents and even rescue animals.
“Firefighters want to make your day better; they are programmed to help,” said Nate Galpin, a Sun Valley firefighter and EMT. “I joined the fire department because I wanted to give back to my community. What I also found is that I really love the camaraderie and being part of an extraordinary group of people. It really is the greatest job in the world.”
