Since the establishment of Humboldt Fire District (HFD), Volunteer Firefighters have played an integral part of our operation. Working side by side with HFD's career staff, HFD Volunteers serve our community by responding to fire, emergency medical service, and rescue incidents in both the Fire District and City of Eureka. The Volunteer cadre are trained by career staffs of both HFD and the City of Eureka Fire Department and maintain a high level of readiness to mitigate any type of emergency that may occur.

Once an application is received, the application is reviewed for completeness and qualifications. (Minimum qualifications are listed below). Qualified applicants will be invited back to an interview with HFD's Volunteer Coordinator and the President of HFD's Volunteers.

Candidates successful passing the interview process will be issued background check paperwork consisting of a personal history statement, criminal background check, DMV check, and Live Scan fingerprint check.

NOTE: Initial costs associated with the background check are the responsibility of the candidate. Once a candidate successfully passes their background check, they will be given an orientation to the volunteer program and offered a conditional employment as a Volunteer pending their CPAT test (Candidate Physical Ability Test).

In order to be offered full status as a Recruit Volunteer Firefighter, candidates are required to schedule and take the CPAT. The CPAT is a physical ability test sanctioned and administered by the California Firefighter Joint Apprenticeship Committee. More information on the CPAT can be found at http://www.cffjac.org/go/jac/cpat/. Candidates who successfully complete the CPAT are eligible for reimbursement of cost of the CPAT test and meals (on a per diem basis) by HFD. Upon completion of the CPAT, candidates will be granted full training status as a Volunteer Firefighter Recruit with HFD.

Interested? To download an application click HERE. Applications are in Microsoft Word format. Alternatively, you can pick up an application from HFD Headquarters located at 3455 Harris St., Eureka, CA. 95503 during normal business hours (9 am through 5 pm). For information phone (707) 445-4900 or e-mail HFD's Volunteer Coordinator aallen@hfd1.org.

What are the minimum qualifications to become a Volunteer with HFD?
The minimum qualifications are as follows:

18 years of age High School Diploma or GED Non-Smoker Valid Class "C" California Driver's License No felony convictions. Misdemeanors will be evaluated on a case-by-case basis. Ability to pass a department sponsored full physical exam in preparation for arduous physical labor.

What is expected of a Volunteer Firefighter with HFD?
A Volunteer with HFD responds to all types of emergency calls to supplement the career staff of HFD. Volunteers on scenes and as part of HFD engine companies perform the same duties as their career counterparts…from fighting all types of fires to rendering emergency medical care.

HFD Volunteers are also required to spend 72 hours per quarter (a quarter is defined as a three month period i.e. January to the end of March) standing by as part of an on-duty HFD engine company under the supervision of a career Fire Captain. The Volunteer on stand-by will respond with and act as part of the engine company on all incidents, in all training, and all other engine company activities. Volunteer personnel are currently reimbursed $25.00 per 12-hour shift in order to compensate for meals while on duty. This is paid on a quarterly basis.

Volunteer personnel are also required to attend regularly scheduled training held from 7 pm to 9 pm on the second and fourth Thursday of every month (six drills per quarter). Of the six drills, Volunteers must attend four of the drills. Any missed drills must be made up. In addition to the 12 hours of drill training, Volunteers must amass eight additional hours of training totaling 20 hours per quarter.

Most importantly, Volunteers with HFD must respond to at least 25% of "working incidents" per quarter. A working incident is any incident where arriving engine company's verify a working fire, or where two or more dispatched engine companies are committed to the incident. Volunteers are able to respond from home (with notification by department issued pagers) or as part of an on-duty engine company.

All Volunteer personnel are encouraged to exceed any of the above listed requirements. The more training and active a Volunteer is with HFD, the safer and more effective a firefighter they become. Firefighting is a dangerous profession, career or volunteer, so activity as a volunteer is something HFD takes very seriously.

Advantages to being a Volunteer Firefighter