The holiday season is always busy because we are involved in community activities and calls that come in nonstop. Victor fire responded to 152 calls in December while Farmington responded to 127.

This year, multiple departments participated in the Christmas convoy that starts in Victor High School and ends in Geneva. Victor took their ladder truck 2771 to Victor Municipal park and magically Santa was there all morning. 

Farmington did a similar thing taking out their ladder truck 881 to Mertensia park Santa was also there. Kids also got to explore the truck a little bit. Now that the holiday season has wrapped up Farmington and Victor still are very busy. 

Volunteer firefighting and actually paid firefighters are very different. While actual paid firefighters sleep in the firehouse and have all the training for every scenario, it’s not always the case for volunteers.

 For volunteers, each one has different certifications provided by the state. Victor firefighter Evan Haggettt just got his interior certification but prior to that, he had to get his exterior certification. To acquire these certifications there are classes required to be taken and pass a final exam and a final in-field training. 

 Another big difference with volunteer firefighters is that they have to drive their vehicles to the station to get all their gear and take a fire apparatus to a call and there is only a five-minute window before a different department gets dispatched to that call. 

The call starts from the moment their pagers go off and continues until they are back in quarters and in service. 

There are different pager tones for different types of calls. The dispatcher then gives the call description. The firefighters responding go to their respective stations and head out. 

The most senior firefighter takes the officer seat. The officer in the apparatus reads the call notes to the crew in the truck and it prepares the crew for what they are going to deal with when they arrive on the scene. As the crews arrive they are prepared with all the knowledge they need to handle every situation in a swift and very professional manner. 

Being a volunteer comes with great responsibility but also great benefits. The best one is being able to help members of your community. That’s where firefighters like Evan Haggett get their motivation to respond to calls. “The ability to help people and see their excitement when you arrive on the scene is like no other, that excitement has a special place in your heart.”

I agree with the things Evan said because I am a firefighter as well. Being able to help out people in probably the worst time in their lives brings me a feeling you can only experience while doing the job. In the month of April Farmington  fire department will be holding a recruitment event. There will be a showcase of the apparatus, skills we perform, and many other activities. If you are interested in being a positive member of your community I really suggest applying to the department in the town you live in.