Volunteer Fire Department or Red Cross?

I screwed up. I meant to join the Red Cross and I ended up seeing the blue man group.
 
Well see, this just proves that everyone has their own preference of what they like and want to do. Some jump in the fire, others put it out, and some go the behind the scenes route.
 
You'll probably get more experience with a VFD. Be sure to choose an FD where EMS Is important to them, some really don't care.

Fortunately, EMS is very important to my local VFD. Unfortunately, their ambulance only goes out maybe twice a year, usually for auto vs. pedestrian, and ALS usually makes it there first anyway.

I personally recommend that you hide outside the fire station and wait for the engine to be dispatched. If you have good aim you can hop on the back without being seen. Then all you have to do is pray that it's a medical call. Bring your first aid kit.
 
DMAT looks interesting, but it also looks like it'd be something you would do if you had freetime. As fun as DMAT sounds (or not) if you're like many people you probably are either working full-time, going to school full-time or some sort of mixture of both. In addition, it's not really a paid thing from what I understand aside from reimbursement for food and travel and such. This is almost more of a retirement thing more than anything else.

Also, the VA DMAT at least, requires online training, all this governmentish fingerprinting stuff and it looks like even applying might take awhile. I could be wrong of course since I've never done it. I WISH I had enough free time for that...

Also, I contacted the Red Cross about opportunities and all they did was send me a big fat automated, totally impersonal email about the process to volunteer. Yeah, automated emails are an irk of mine. I would also look into seeing if you have a Medical Reserve Corps nearby. They provide basic first responder-type training but would probably be more than happy to have an EMT. Although, I have no clue about how much actual experience you'd get from it. This is all just based on what research I've been doing while looking for volunteer opportunities myself.
 
im currently on a VFD & love it, sometimes we can be really busy, sometimes not, but ive gotten a lot of patient contacts & really developing my assessment/treatment skills while im at it.

Im a full time nursing student so working is almost out of the question (until i find a job that can accommodate). but in the meantime--this is a very worthwhile experience :)
 
frankiemuniz01 said:
They're free and a nice thing to have. But I have done those and the gov't is flying me to Alabama to complete some Hazmat and incident command courses
Click to expand...

What courses is this for? I think that would be pretty cool to do? I have ICS-100 and ICS-200 already.
 
Do 700 and 800. Then look at some of the on site courses through the department of homeland security and such.

You have to be employed somewhere or actively volunteering in emergency response.

They will send ya to Alabama for more training. Its pretty cool.

https://cdp.dhs.gov/schedules/program/a.html
 
Anjel1030 said:
Do 700 and 800. Then look at some of the on site courses through the department of homeland security and such.

You have to be employed somewhere or actively volunteering in emergency response.

They will send ya to Alabama for more training. Its pretty cool.

https://cdp.dhs.gov/schedules/program/a.html
Click to expand...

I'll look into it. It'd be a great opportunity, plus it sounds fun.
 
Good for you to seek more more more

FEMA online courses some good for college credit:
http://training.fema.gov/is/

DMAT: you get activated, you are covered by insurance and etc. Structured, ask around.
MRC: structure depends more upon your local setting. Meet people with a lot of war stories.
ARC: essentially no medical service in the US. ARC is mostly logistics and education. Nice to have their certificates on your CV.
CERT: little-used, free training and basic tools kit (maybe).
Vollie FD: best bet for experience, maybe make some networking connections there. Don't get hurt.
 
mycrofft said:
FEMA online courses some good for college credit:
http://training.fema.gov/is/

DMAT: you get activated, you are covered by insurance and etc. Structured, ask around.
MRC: structure depends more upon your local setting. Meet people with a lot of war stories.
ARC: essentially no medical service in the US. ARC is mostly logistics and education. Nice to have their certificates on your CV.
CERT: little-used, free training and basic tools kit (maybe).
Vollie FD: best bet for experience, maybe make some networking connections there. Don't get hurt.
Click to expand...

Add to that:

DHV (CA only as far as I know): Volunteer medical service that deploys local, statewide, or national based on volunteer preference. Regular meetings and a medical kit. (part of MRC but more structured in CA)
 
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