Firefighter

The main duties of a firefighter are to help protect the public in emergency situations. Firefighters respond to a wide variety of calls, such as car crashes, chemical spills, flooding, water rescue and general rescue as well as fires. In addition to attending emergency call outs and rescuing people and animals from life-threatening situations, the job entails: - using sophisticated firefighting and rescue equipment - promoting fire safety via talks, advice and training sessions - inspecting and enforcing safety standards in commercial and residential properties - demonstrating the use of firefighting equipment - performing practice drills - working with other public safety officials - undertaking physical and academic training - checking and maintaining vehicles, equipment, hydrants and water supplies

All firefighters wear uniforms. The work can be stressful and dangerous but there is a great deal of job satisfaction to be gained from providing such a valuable service to the community.

Volunteers typically serve during the hours of 6 p.m.--6 a.m. weekdays and 24 hours on weekends and holidays. Our volunteers have 18 months from acceptance to become certified as an emergency medical technician/Basic, EVOC rescue driver and or Firefighter 1. Volunteers meet ongoing training requirements in order to remain certified and skilled.

Our typical volunteer is 18 years of age. Some organizations in Roanoke County VA do offer a junior program for 16 and 17 year olds with parental permission. Mt. Pleasant Fire Department do offer the Junior program for 16 and 17 year olds. All volunteers go through an application process that includes an FBI and State Police criminal history screening, Department of Motor Vehicle screening, and reference checks. Volunteers who are 21 years of age may become certified to drive emergency vehicles if they have a favorable driving record.

We appreciate and honor our volunteers every chance we get. Roanoke County provides our volunteers with:

- Personal protective gear - Workers compensation coverage - Free annual Vehicle License Fee Voucher valued at $20 - Volunteer Incentive Program (VIP) valued at up to $500 annually - Other fun and rewarding recognition events