The minimum age for training in Anne Arundel County is 16
Required Training :
All required training is provided free of charge by Anne Arundel County. Courses are usually conducted at fire department headquarters on Veterans Highway in Millersville.
1. Firefighter I – 108 hours (actual, not credit hours)
2. EMT-B — 190 hours
These two classes are typically taught two nights each week (Mon/Wed or Tues/Thurs), three hours each, for about a semester. There will be occasional Saturday classes for practical evolutions.
Sometimes courses will be offered only on weekends, all day Saturday or Sunday, for about a semester.
1. Hazardous Materials Operations – 42 hours (HazMat)
2. Emergency Response to Terrorism – 8 hours
3. CPR/AED – 8 hours
Over the summer, a course called All You Need To Ride (AYNTR) is offered on a full-time basis (8-4, 5 days/week, 4 weeks) that includes all required training except EMT-B. High school students have the option of vocational training in firefighting – ask for further information.
Most people take about a year to complete all the initial coursework.
Optional Training :
After succeeding in basic training, a variety of options will be available to you. Firefighter 2 and Rescue Technician are the most popular. If you’re interested in driving the engine, you can take Emergency Vehicle Driving and Pump Operations.
Moving up the chain of command through Lieutenant to Chief will require several courses in Fire Inspections, Training Methods, Fire Officer and Incident Command. Additional courses in emergency medical services are available, focusing on managing trauma, pediatric patients and other areas. All these courses – required and optional – are offered free of charge through Anne Arundel County.
Company Obligations :
We have a company meeting on the second Thursday each month at 7:30pm.
We ask members to commit to 12 hours of duty each month. We do not currently have assigned duty periods. Recognizing that we are all volunteers, we try to coordinate our availability with the needs of the company, acknowledging the requirements of families and careers.
Community Relations :
We hold and Open House in September, and various fire prevention activities throughout the year. We attend Boy/Girl Scout meetings, and children’s birthday parties. Not only do the kids enjoy climbing on the engine, but we have the opportunity to teach them the stop/drop/roll maneuver.
Also, they can see what a firefighter looks like in full gear, so they may be less frightened in an emergency. We also assist people with installing and maintaining their smoke detectors.
We also host Birthday parties at the firehouse and teach fire education along with some hands on options during the party.
Financial & Administrative :
Administrative members have opportunities to help in all areas except emergency response. These include, but are not limited to, fundraising, planning the open house, coordinating fire prevention activities, assisting with membership recruiting and retention, and just about anything else you can think of for a volunteer organization. We also require help in maintaining our building (all members), from simple cleaning to performing or overseeing major renovations.
We hold two major fundraisers each year, but both are coordinated by outside contractors. We have a mailer that goes out each April to all the houses in our district. Our responsibilities are limited to opening the envelopes and depositing the checks.
In November/December, we run a photo fundraiser. We staff the station during photo shoots and shows. We don’t call anybody asking for money, we don’t knock on doors, and we don’t do bingo, carnivals or pancake breakfasts.
We are a small, non-profit corporation with a President, Vice President, Secretary, Treasurer and Board of Trustees. All positions are open to all members. We welcome members of all sorts – operational and administrative – high school to senior citizen, from five hours per year to 100 hours per month, from no prior experience to “Crusty Old Jakes”. Everyone can help somehow.
Applying :
If you are interested in volunteering, please print and complete our department application. Notify us via e-mail (quickest option) to schedule a meeting time to review your application and discuss the many opportunities available to you. There is a $25 application fee due at time of submittal. This is a one time fee that is non refundable.
