Volunteer Fire Districts


	Agua Fria Chimayo Edgewood El Dorado Galisteo	Glorieta Pass Hondo La Cienega La Puebla Madrid	Pojoaque Stanley Tesuque Turquoise Trail

History

The first fire district to be created by the Santa Fe County Board of Commissioners was the Pojoaque Fire District in 1959. By 1982 there were eleven officially recognized fire districts in the County and a twelfth was in the process of forming. The Fire Districts defined the area through which emergency services (fire, rescue and EMS) were provided up until 1997. In February of 1997 the Santa Fe County Fire Department was officially organized under the administration of a single fire chief with service areas further defined by region and district. The original county fire districts were consolidated into the Department for administrative oversight purposes and paid firefighters were added to geographic regions to support and augment the services provided by those districts

The volunteer personnel of the fourteen fire districts of Santa Fe County Fire Department are responsible for responding to fire, rescue and EMS emergencies twenty-four hours a day, three hundred and sixty-five days per year. These personnel must undergo much of the same training, licensure and certification required of career (paid) personnel. The challenges of being a volunteer firefighter or EMT are daunting, yet many continue to do just that, day in and day out in service to their communities - they are indeed heroes, personally sacrificing much in service to others.

The admininstrative oversight of the volunteers is provided by a Captain-Volunteer Recruitment and Retention Coordinator. The Coordiantor's responsiblities inlcude development of programs that our volunteers need to remain with our organization and to recognize them for the service they render and to develop new programs for the recruitment of new volunteers to replace those who are leaving secondary to retirement. The operational success of the Santa Fe County Fire Department depends heavily on the services of those members throughout the community who are willing to volunteer their time and energy.

The Fire Department is currently supported by more than 340 volunteer members, not all of whom are active firefighters. There are presently a number of active volunteers with more than 20 years of service to Santa Fe County. A volunteer District Chief is elected annually in each district and administers and coordinates the daily fire, rescue, suppression, and EMS operations of their volunteer district. They also serve as a liaison between fire administration, career staff and volunteer personnel. They are instrumental in organizing district trainings, business affairs, and responding to emergency calls. District Chiefs report through the chain of command directly to the Deputy Fire Chief and the Fire Chief. They also work closely with the department’s Recruitment and Retention Captain.

2011 Accomplishments include:

Volunteer Program Opportunities

We currently have 2 methods of volunteering depending on your circumstances and area of residence.

1) District Volunteers:

Generally reside or work wihtin the boundaries of one of our 14 fire districts which allow them to respond from their residence or workplace to the fire station when an emergency call is received. There are no qualifications required to begin participating in this manner and training can be obtained once you become a member in a variety of methods. Should this method be the one you choose, please contact Captain Mike Jaffa and he will put you in touch with the District Chief for your area who can explain their meeting nights and what is expected for that particular district.

2) Regional Volunteers:

This program is for individuals who live outside the boundaries of our districts (within city limits or in another county). These volunteers must attend the Santa Fe County Fire Department Volunteer Fire Academy. Once the academy is complete, they work shifts (12 hours in length from 7:00am to 7:00pm whenever they wish) along side the paid staff. Minimum requirements for this level of membership are:

Successfully pass a Firefighter Civil Service Exam - 100 questions, multiple choice;
Successfully complete the Physical Agility Test - timed step test & modified combat challenge (scematic attached);

The Volunteer Fire Academy consists of the following courses:

SFCFD Orientation - 12 hours
Firefighter 1st Aid / CPR - 12 hours
Hazmat Awareness & Operations - 40 hours
Certified Emergency Vehicle Operations (CEVO) Training 3 - hours
Firefighter 1 - 80 hours

Volunteer Recruitment
Printed Materials (Internal and External) Recruitment Events and Action Media New Volunteer Applications processed:

From 7/1/09 through 12/31/09 - 62
From 1/1/10 through 3-15-10 - 33
Projected through 6-30-10 - 30

Recruitement for 2011 was performed using various types of media advertising and through the individual efforts of a number of our members. Recruiting statistics for 2011 are as follows:

1^st Quarter (Jan, Feb, March) = 23
2^nd Quarter (April, May, June) = 33
3^rd Quarter (July, Aug, Sept) = 44
4^th Quarter (Oct through Nov. 28th) =13
Year to Date Total = 113

How to Sign Up as a Volunteer

If you are interested in volunteering with the Santa Fe County Fire Department and would like more information, contact Captain Mike Jaffa at 505-992-3070 or by e-mail at mjaffa@santafecounty.org.