CVFD

The Many Types of Memberships

The reasons for wishing to become a member of the Chugiak Volunteer Fire and Rescue Company or of any volunteer organization are endless. Regardless of your reason you must want to be a part of the organization. During an emergency we are a strategic team of emergency professionals, and after we are able to enjoy being a close-knit family of friends and neighbors. We're always willing to welcome another good neighbor into our ranks.

The following information will provide an overview of the various programs available, the requirements, the application and acceptance process, and the training and probationary process. This information should assist you in determining if volunteering with CVFD is right for you. For more information about CVFD itself, visit our About CVFD page.

Resons for Volunteering

For all technical issues regarding our website, more information, or to send us your comments, please e-mail us at cvfrd@mtaonline.net

This page was last updated: September 18, 2009

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CVFD has five types of membership that are detailed here including; active firefighter, active dispatcher, auxiliary firefighter, junior firefighter and affiliate member.

Active Firefighter

An active firefighter will be assigned to a duty crew and will respond with that duty crew. An active firefighter will be required to attend all business and training meetings of the Company as is reasonable and practical. He/She shall be a minimum of eighteen(18) years of age, reside in CVFD district and must posess a valid Alaska Drivers License.

Auxiliary Firefighter

An Auxiliary Firefighter will be assigned to a duty crew and will respond to all emergencies upon request. There will be a maximum of nine(9) Auxiliaries at any given time. The Auxiliary member's duty will be to perform miscellaneous tasks on the fireground as determined by the officer in charge. An Auxiliary Firefighter will be required to attend all business meetings and training meetings of the Company as is reasonably practical. He/She shall be a minimum of eighteen(18) years of age, reside in Chugiak Volunteer Fire and Rescue Company, Inc. district and must possess a valid Alaska Drivers License.

Junior Firefighter

A junior firefighter shall be a minimum of fourteen(14) years of age, reside in the Anchorage School District's Chugiak High School attendance area, adhere to all rules and regulations of the Company and those described herein:

Will not be allowed to make motions, vote or hold office.

Shall assist at fire scenes and emergencies as directed by the incident commander when they have been approved by the Chief and may function as a medic if qualified.

May not respond to calls during their normal school hours.

May be dismissed for cause immediately by majority vote of the Executive Board.

Shall maintain current Anchorage School District minimum grade point average for extracurricular activities.

Must have written parental permission to apply as a junior

Affiliate Member

An affiliate member will respond to calls from Latimer (Station 31) on weekdays and on weekends as outlined below. An Affiliate Member must be currently certified by the State of Alaska as an Emergency Medical Technician or have completed training equivalent to Alaska's Firefighter I curriculum. An Affiliate Member shall be a minimum of eighteen(18) years of age, reside outside the Chugiak Volunteer Fire & Rescue Company, Inc. District, must possess a valid Alaska drivers license, adhere to all rules and regulations of the company and those described herein.

Will not be allowed to make motions, vote or hold office, nor be eligible for benefits.

Must be on duty at Latimer 0630-1830 weekdays a minimum of 48 hours a month.

Must attend as many weekly (Wednesday) training nights as practical.

Must obey orders and instructions of ranking CVFD personnel on scene.

May be dismissed for cause immediately by majority vote of the Executive Board.

The Application Process

Complete the CVFD application which can be obtained by calling the station at 688-2686 or you can download it by clicking here if you have Adobe Acrobat. You must include:

A copy of your driving record (Can be obtained at any DMV for a small fee)

Current State of Alaska Drivers License (make a copy for application and show original when turning in application)

Criminal record (Can be obtained at State Troopers office for a small fee) And any prior training records from previous departments.

This paperwork is required within thirty(30) days of the initial application.

Drop the completed application and attachments off at Chugiak Fire Station #31 during a Wednesday night meeting (commences at 7:00PM ). If changes occur to your contact phone number(s), you decide against joining, have application updates, or have moved from the Chugiak Fire Service Area, please contact the department as soon as possible at 694-2010. After completion of application you will be contacted by a member of the department's Membership Committee once your application has been reviewed for completeness. He/She will give you further information on the status of your application.

The Training and Probationary Process

As a new member, you will be required to attend a department orientation class prior to responding. This class will include:

Bloodborne/airborne pathogens

An introduction to the incident command system

Hazardous communications training

American Heart Association Basic Life Support - Healthcare Provider Level (BLS-P)

Hazardous materials - Awareness level

An orientation to the department

Previous training in BLS-P may be accepted if the expiration date is greater than one year from the time of membership. Training in subjects that are documented and completed within two years prior to applying with the CVFD may be accepted towards the required number of hours for the orientation class. This orientation class will be conducted over twenty-four hours (approximately two weekends).

You will be reviewed every thirty days during your first three months in the department. Your progress will be discussed, as well as your attitude and general perceptions from membership. A department vote will follow the 90-day review. If you should make it past the first three months, you will be on probation for the subsequent nine months. The membership of the CVFRD will, at the end of your first year, officially vote on you as a full member of the department. If you should not pass the 90-day or one year vote, you must wait six months before reapplying.

Until you have been properly trained in Emergency Vehicle Operations and trained to drive and operate the department emergency apparatus, you will be responding in your Personal Operating Vehicle (P.O.V.). (with the exception of the affiliate members). Municipal and State regulations for non-emergent motor vehicles must be adhered to at all times, even if you have been issued a blue emergency light. These regulations will be covered during the orientation class.

Probationary members are expected to be able to respond in any piece of fire or medical apparatus by the end of their probationary period. In an emergency, you will not be expected to respond with apparatus unless previously trained on that piece of equipment and are specifically requested to do so by the duty officer. It is reasonable to expect that some new members will not have been trained and cleared to drive all the department's apparatus within this time. However, it is a requirement that you be knowledgeable of the vehicle and where all equipment on each apparatus is stored. After each response, all apparatus and equipment will be returned to a "ready" condition prior to you departing the station. No equipment will be removed from the fire department for personal use at any time.

If you are new to the Chugiak Fire Service Area or unfamiliar to the road system, it is YOUR responsibility to become aware of the primary, secondary, and rural roads. Spare map books, if available, may be issued to help responders find the location of emergencies. However, the responsibility remains on you as a new member to become familiar with the response area in your free time!

Appropriate department identification and clothing must be worn on every response. Jumpsuit's (blue coveralls) shall be worn to every emergency medical response. All fires and vehicle accidents require full firefighting protective clothing be worn. If you have not been issued a jumpsuit, or it is unwearable, clean firefighting gear may be worn as a last-resort.

The CVFD is a professional service and expects all members to act accordingly. The well-being of yourself, other members and ultimately the general public is our department's goal. All responding members will refrain from the use of alcoholic beverages within eight hours prior to and while on duty, failure to do so can be grounds for immediate dismissal. Smoking and chewing tobacco is prohibited within the station, work areas, on the apparatus and during all stages of a fire or medical response.

Emergency Medical Technicians: All persons functioning as EMTs for the CVFD must be certified by the State of Alaska and sponsored by the CVFD medical director. If you are licensed by the State of Alaska as an MICP, you may apply for supervision under the CVFD medical direction, however, you must obtain certification at the State of Alaska EMT-III level. If you are certified or licensed as an EMT from another state or territory, the department will try to provide assistance to obtain Alaska certification. It is ultimately your responsibility to follow up on this subject if you wish to respond as an EMT with CVFD. In addition to the orientation class, you will also be offered vaccination for Hepatitis B and tuberculosis testing as well