Two years ago, Nestucca Rural Fire Protection District (NRFPD) made an investment in the future by launching its Cadet Volunteer Program. That program was built to teach discipline, responsibility, teamwork, and life-saving skills to the next generation of public servants while preparing a strong future workforce for our community. This year, the district continues its commitment to growth and service. NRFPD is expanding its volunteer program, again, to include:
- Out-of-District Volunteer Firefighters
- Administrative / Office Volunteers (non-responding personnel)
“These additions really come down to one thing, making sure we strengthen the service we provide to our community,” Division Chief Neel, Division Chief of Training and the Volunteer Program.
Administrative / Office Volunteer Program
Our volunteer firefighters and support members play a direct role in operational success on emergency scenes. The new Administrative / Office Volunteer position supports the non-emergency side of our organization by assisting with administrative functions, community outreach, public information, and Community Risk Reduction efforts.
This expansion helps us serve our community from start to finish, from education and prevention, to being involved at community events, to responding when there’s an emergency. We want people to know we’re here for more than just when the siren goes off. By growing our volunteer roles in Community Risk Reduction and Public Information, we’re creating more opportunities to educate, connect, and stay involved with the people we serve.
Out-of-District Volunteer Firefighter Program
The new Out-of-District Volunteer Firefighter program is built around readiness. Smaller and rural districts do not always have the luxury of limiting response capability solely to those who live within their boundaries. “If our mission is life safety, then we have a responsibility to keep the door open to qualified individuals who are willing to step forward and serve our community.” Division Chief Neel
This program is being created to:
- Expand the pool of qualified responders; local recruitment is limited by our population size
- Strengthen staffing during peak call times, major incidents, and special events
- Attract experienced firefighters who live outside the district and are committed to serving the community
- Improve response reliability
- Create a pathway toward future resident or career staffing positions
“This comes down to reliability and readiness. Our community deserves to know that when they call 911, we are staffed, prepared, and ready to respond, even when multiple emergencies are happening at the same time,” Division Chief Neel.
Our District Continues to Evolve
Over the last few decades, Nestucca Rural Fire Protection District has served this region, and the community has changed, but so have we. We cover 125 square miles of primary service area and provide service across 325 total square miles, including automatic and mutual aid responses. We regularly respond alongside:
- Netarts-Oceanside Rural Fire Protection District
- North Lincoln Fire & Rescue
- Confederated Tribes of Grand Ronde Department of Emergency Services
We train together. We work well together. We rely on each other.
Fire behavior continues to evolve as modern construction materials burn hotter, faster, and differently than older construction materials. Emergency Medical Services continues to advance every year as new research shapes pre-hospital care. More than 60% of our calls are medical in nature or include a medical component. For this reason, all of our volunteers and career staff are trained in an Emergency Medical Service, from CPR and First Aid to Emergency Medical Technician (EMT) and Advanced EMT (AEMT) levels. “We adapt because our community’s needs are changing. Expanding our volunteer program is another step in making sure we are ready to meet the needs,” Fire Chief Jim Oeder.
Commitment to Our CommunityBranching out and expanding the volunteer program allows us to:
- Improve response times and reliability
- Increase community engagement opportunities
- Strengthen our prevention and education efforts
- Maintain our high professional training standards
- Build a prepared and resilient workforce
“Each decision we make is about providing better and faster service to our community. We are here for this community, more than just responding to emergencies. We are here to educate, prevent problems where we can, and step in and help when the community needs our help,” said Division Chief Eric Shoop, Division Chief of Maintenance and the Wildland Operations Program. That same focus on serving our community now, while planning for the future, drives the decisions we make as a district.
For more information about volunteer opportunities, visit: www.nrfpdor.gov/volunteer