Becoming a Volunteer Firefighter

Joining us as a firefighter is quite easy. The basic requirements are that you be 18yrs of age, live in or very near to the Tillson Fire District, and have no arson convictions on your record. To perform some tasks involved with active membership, you will be required to be in good physical condition. Click here to download an application :

http://yourfirstdue.com/manager/data/1259349614/File/download_member_application.pdf. 

You can also download an application by going to the menu at left, choosing the ‘Files’ icon, and simply downloading the available .doc or .pdf application file. You then simply fill it out and mail it to us, or, drop if off at the firehouse on any Wednesday evening. You may also fill it out, and email it to us at rhermance@tillsonfiredept.com. The $5.00 application fee is waived for applications sent in online. If you are new to the area and do not know any of our firefighters, the Chief and President will sponsor you. On receipt of your application, it is read to the membership at the next monthly meeting and your name is submitted to the Sheriff’s Department for the appropriate background checks as required by law. Then, at the next monthly meeting, the membership votes on you. If you are voted in, you are welcomed as a member. For your first year, you serve a probationary period in which you have pretty much all of the rights of a firefighter. However, you can not hold an elected office or be an officer while on probation. At the one year anniversary of your acceptance, the membership then votes to take you off of probation. Once off of probation, you will receive a key to the firehouse as well as a pager.

You will expected to respond to the calls when you can within reason. We understand that this is a volunteer organization and all firefighters can not respond at all times due to a multitude of reasons. However, when a 2^nd dispatch for all manpower is put out, we expect everyone to show up regardless of time of day, holidays, etc. This usually happens only once or twice a year. We have drills every week and you will be expected to make as many as you can. You will also be expected to attend as many monthly meetings as you can. OSHA training is once a year and is mandatory. This only entails two four hour evenings each year.

As a firefighter and based on both your training, experience, and physical condition, you may be asked to perform tasks such as operating hose lines, climbing ladders, working on roofs, demolition, extricating patients from vehicles in auto accidents, pumping cellars, interior firefighting, search & rescue, cleaning up after fires, rolling hose, maintaining equipment, community safety presentations, and much more. You will be trained in the use of turn out gear, self contained breathing apparatus, fire extinguishers, ladders, jaws of life rescue tool, CO2 detectors, foam, air bags/blocks, portable generators/pumps, driving and running the pumps on fire apparatus, emergency driving, demolition and chain saws, and many other pieces of fire related equipment.