Northeast Teller County Fire Protection District (CO)

The Northeast Teller County Fire Protection District protects about 82.5 square miles located about 20 miles north of Colorado Springs, CO. The fire district is a combination department made up of both volunteer and career firefighters that provide 24/7 coverage. The Northeast Teller County Fire Protection District created a Fire Corps team to strengthen the operational capacity of the department.

 

Fire Corps volunteers have greatly benefited the Northeast Teller County Fire Protection District. Volunteers assist with running fire station open houses, raise money by organizing fundraisers for the department, and perform various activities in the community, such as assisting with crowd control and route development for local parades.

 

One of the main activities Fire Corps volunteers perform is firefighter rehab. This entails establishing an area where firefighters can go to rest and eat during long incidents. Volunteers are also trained in incident command structure – a communications structure that is taught and used by the Federal Emergency Management Agency.

 

In addition, Fire Corps volunteers assist in preplanning for incidents. Preplanning activities involve inspecting the outside of a structure and logging information that firefighters can access while en route to an emergency. The knowledge collected through the preplanning process provides valuable information for emergency responders that help them to respond in an efficient and safe manner. “If firefighters are called to your house, they can pull the information gathered by the Fire Corps volunteers up so they’ll know what to expect when they get there,” explains Northeast Teller Fire Corps President Sam McVay.

 

All members of the Northeast Teller County Fire Protection District Fire Corps must be 18 years old, be able to pass a Colorado Bureau of Investigation background check, and live within the fire district’s boundaries. For more information visit www.netellerfire.org or contact the department at 719-687-1866.