Join the Fire Department
Seeking Fire Department Members
The Richmond Fire Department is seeking Richmond residents to join the Department. The Department is currently understaffed and more firefighters are needed to ensure there are enough firefighters responding to every call. A fully staffed department produces a better outcome and response for calls and helps to keep all firefighters safe.
If you are interested in speaking to a current firefighter to learn more and consider applying, please fill out this quick form (it takes less than a minute to fill out) and a firefighter will contact you to set up a time to talk.
This is a great team of people and is community led. If you want to be part of supporting this community, please learn more.
The Department needs people to join to assist with several roles from firefighter to administrative work. There are many different jobs in the department and firefighters are not expected to do every job. For instance, if you do not want to go into a burning building you will not have to. There are plenty of other ways to help. We encourage you to join the Department even if only one of the jobs is of interest to you.
Jobs include:
- Administrative support includes:
- Grant writing
- Social media management
- Assist with pre-plan integration to online tools
- Tracking finances
- Mechanical support includes:
- Maintenance and repair on power equipment and trucks
- Firefighters are expected to respond to as many calls as they are available for. Firefighter duties include:
- Responding to calls including:
- Structure fires
- Car accidents
- CO alarms
- Medical assists
- Flooding/ water emergencies
- Wildfires
- Chemical hazards
- There are several jobs on each call including
- Driving the fire truck
- Running pumps
- Traffic control
- Entering structures to fight fires
- Fighting fires from the outside of a structure
- Cleanup of the fire equipment
- Running emergency equipment including the Jaws of Life
- Assisting community members as needed
- Resupplying water for trucks
- Being part of Rapid Intervention Team
- Manual labor outside of emergency setting
- Responding to calls including:
Department Training and Meetings
- A business meeting is held on the 1st Monday of the month from 7 – 9:30pm and includes an equipment check.
- Trainingsare held on the 3rd, and 4th Monday evenings of the month from 7 – 9:30pm and include training on:
- Extraction
- Self Contained Breathing Apparatus
- Wildland fires
- Pumping
- Driving trucks
- Truck placement
- And more
Process for Becoming a Firefighter
- Meet with a current firefighter to learn more about the department and the roles and responsibilities.
- Fill out an application
- Begin attending fire department meetings and training
- Pass a background check
- Pass a physical
- After a 6-month probationary period the current firefighters vote on accepting the candidate as a non-probationary firefighter. This is a trial for both the individual and the department to see if there is a good fit.
Additional Training
The Department will work with individuals for further fully paid for trainings, which often include:
- Basic Firefighting
- This class is an introduction to firefighting and includes training on ladders, hose lines, knots, ropes, chainsaws, axes, Halligan bars, Self Contained Breathing Apparatus and more.
- One night per week, 7 – 10pm
- Saturday Training two – three times per month for two months
- Fire 1
- Fire 2
- Advanced Fire Courses
- EMT
Pay and Benefits
- Firefighters are paid for the training that they attend and the calls that they respond to. Pay starts at $15.01 per hour
- Firefighters are eligible for many first responder benefits including:
- Discounts at local and national retailers including REI, and Dicks Sporting Goods. See more here 400+ First Responder Discounts, Deals & Freebies
- Free Darn Tough Socks
- Discounts on everything from museums to barbershops and cell phone providers to fitness facilities
- Knowing that you are supporting your community members when they need their neighbors most