Fort Washington Fire Company Seeks Next Generation Of Volunteers

Having already served the local community for over a century, the Fort Washington Fire Company has launched a new recruiting campaign which aims to secure the next generation of volunteers for the fire service.

“We are looking for a broad spectrum of skill sets,” said Sean Allen, co-chair of the FWFC Recruitment Committee. “Not only are we looking for individuals to be firefighters, we are also looking for junior members, fire police, business members, and volunteers for the Ladies Auxiliary.”

Despite boasting one of the largest volunteer memberships in the area, the FWFC wants to continue to increase its staff to avoid a potential manpower shortage during daytime hours.

“In some areas, there is a shortage of firefighters during daytime business hours,” said Allen. “By increasing our membership even further, the community will benefit two-fold, in that there will be staffed apparatus’ to ensure community-wide fire protection at all times, and this will all be accomplished through the utilization of our 100-percent volunteer membership.”

The fire company features both cutting-edge training opportunities, as well as a new which houses the fleet of two fire engines, two rescue pumpers, a tower ladder truck, a rescue truck and several other support vehicles, including . All training is provided at no cost to the volunteer.

“Our training standards are of the highest caliber,” said Allen. “Not only do we ensure that our firefighters meet the standard, we go the extra mile by interacting with various professionals to gain valuable on-the-job skills. FWFC also works closely with certified training instructors to ascertain the needed skills for cutting-edge water rescue techniques that are not taught in local fire schools.”

According to Eric Clauson, chief of the FWFC, the company averages between 650 to 700 calls per year, though they exceeded those numbers last year when they responded to nearly 800 calls.

“Last year, we responded to 789 calls,” said Clauson. “This does not include the numerous drills, meetings and community events that we participate in.”

Clauson adds that the application process is fairly quick, which allows volunteers to hit the ground running and begin training in only a few weeks.

“An application must be completed, which includes a background check,” said Clauson. “The process can take several weeks, but once the individual becomes a member, they can immediately begin training, which includes firefighter courses, hazmat courses and other classes such as CPR and first aid.”

For anyone interested in joining, simply send an email to membership@fwfc.org, and someone from the membership committee will contact you regarding the application process.