Lynnwood (WA) Fire Department
Lynnwood (WA) Fire Department Fire Corps was established in January 2006 and has grown to include twenty-two members, ranging in age from 26 to 84. These volunteers gave more than 600 hours in 2007, assisting the fire department in a variety of tasks including community preparedness efforts. Successful recruiting for the program was done through speaking about the program to groups of potential volunteers, advertising in city-wide newsletters, newspaper articles, and posting the program on volunteermatch.org.
When citizens join the Lynnwood Fire Department Fire Corps, they are encouraged to complete Community Emergency Response Team training and FEMA Independent Study Program courses 100 and 200. This training prepares members to promote the Neighborhood Disaster Preparedness Program, which encourages neighborhoods to unite and plan for a disaster by mapping out which neighbors have special needs, special skills, or equipment that could be useful in the event of an emergency. Since Fire Corps members are trained in disaster preparedness, they are able to help on-scene during emergencies as well as at the fire station to assist citizens who come in for disaster aid.
Fire Corps members also assist with the National Night Out, a major event for Lynnwood’s fire and police departments. Fire Corps members ride along in Lynnwood Fire Department vehicles to distribute disaster preparedness materials to each neighborhood and encourage community members to get involved. For National Night Out 2008, they visited 26 neighborhood gatherings in the 7.7-square-mile city.
In addition, Lynnwood Fire Corps members provide administrative help to the department through office staffing and blood pressure checks for the community. They staff booths at the back-to-school resource fair, school open houses, and the local county fair. They also participate in public fire and life safety education within the community.
To counterbalance all of their hard work, Lynnwood Fire Corps members participate in quarterly social get-togethers that include a summer barbeque and a holiday party. These events help members build bonds with each other, their families, and fire department personnel. A monthly newsletter containing up-coming events, recaps of past events, and training information is also distributed to all members.
For more information about the Lynnwood Fire Department Fire Corps, contact Marybeth O’Leary at moleary@ci.lynnwood.wa.us.
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