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The Sierra Vista Fire Department has long prided itself on its service delivery to our customers. We have an informal motto that encourages our members to do whatever it takes to meet the customer’s needs.
As our community and our organization have grown, our calls for service have increased dramatically. Such an increase can impact a small organization to the point where it may need to scale back on services. To a service-based organization, like fire departments, that would be fatal. Years ago we recognized the need to diversify our services, to offer more and better ways to help our community. One way to add such value to our service was to develop volunteer programs.
We started our Citizens Fire Academy in 2002. This 10-week program takes volunteers from throughout the community and teaches them about our organization. The classes meet once a week and each class covers one aspect of our department, from the history of Fire Department, to emergency medical care, fire prevention, and, ultimately, through the arduous tasks of firefighting. Each participant is fitted with firefighting gear (turnouts) and operates a fire hose, and even climbs up an aerial ladder, if they choose to do so.
At the conclusion of the course, each student is encouraged to join the other volunteers who belong to our Citizens Fire Academy Association. This group has many activities: They serve as a rehab crew during structure fires or other large incidents where our personnel require rest and re-hydration, they check and install smoke detectors for community members who may not be able to do so for themselves, and they assist with public education events, passing on information at events such as Art in the Park and school visits during Fire Prevention Week each October.
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Another service we provide is a volunteer ride-along program. This program was designed to develop and nurture those with an interest in the fire service as a career. We allow adults to ride throughout the day, participating in many of the daily activities alongside our firefighters. Although they may not engage in hazardous activities, they do respond on calls, attend training classes and tag along on business inspections and pre-fire plans. They eat with the crews and may participate in daily physical fitness exercises. As they may be our future firefighters, we treat them as if they are one of us. They even wear one of our uniform shirts, although it is red and says “Volunteer” on the back. Look for them the next time you see the Fire Department responding to help someone in need.
Finally, the volunteer program that we are most proud of is also our oldest — our annual Christmas Drive. Begun in the early 1970s as a way to assist local families who may not otherwise have a Christmas, it has developed into a large-scale event that has a planning committee that begins work in July. Firefighters and others volunteer work to collect and distribute food and toys to Sierra Vista families, that last year totaled nearly 350 families (1,100 children). Originally, the program took in canned foods, new and used toys, along with cash donations. Today, due to the overwhelming response from the community, we only collect food, cash and new toys. The cash is used to buy needed food or toys, and to provide gift cards for local grocery stores.
Basically, we hope to provide everything a family needs to enjoy a merry Christmas.
The members of the Sierra Vista Fire Department is proud of our standing within the community. It is not something that is taken lightly. In fact, we are constantly striving to improve our services.
Including volunteers in our service delivery is just one way that we hope to improve on what we do.
Listen in Friday
Sierra Vista Fire Chief Randy Redmond will talk about the department during this week’s “Friday Report.” The radio program, which is hosted by Carl Robie on Friday, begins at 7 a.m. on KTAN 1420 AM. Robie and Redmond will talk about the newest fire station, how emergency responses are planned for in advance and some new programs the department has planned for young people interested in careers in emergency services. Your fire department doesn’t only respond to medical or fire emergencies.
RON YORK is the deputy fire chief with the Sierra Vista Fire Department. He has been with the department for 25 years and is one of the original paramedics trained in the mid-1980s. He has an associate’s degree from Cochise College, a bachelor’s degree from Cogswell Polytechnical College, and will receive his master’s degree in executive fire service leadership from Grand Canyon University this month. Contact Sierra Vista Fire Chief Randy Redmond at rredmond@ci.sierra-vista.az.us. Look for Tools of the Trade the third Wednesday of the month in the Herald/Review.
LISTEN IN
Sierra Vista Fire Chief Randy Redmond will talk about the department during this week’s “Friday Report.” The radio program, which is hosted by Carl Robie on Friday, begins at 7 a.m. on KTAN 1420 AM. Robie and Redmond will talk about the newest fire station, how emergency responses are planned for in advance and some new programs the department has planned for young people interested in careers in emergency services. Your fire department doesn’t only respond to medical or fire emergencies.
t wrote on Dec 21, 2008 8:03 PM: