Inver Grove Heights Fire Department Looking for Firefighters

Editor's Note: The following is a submission by Inver Grove Heights Fire Chief Judy Thill.

Do you have what it takes to "answer the call”?

Did you ever dream of becoming a firefighter? Do you know that you can continue working your regular job and still fulfill that dream? The Inver Grove Heights Fire Department (IGHFD) is looking for people interested in becoming a volunteer/paid-on-call firefighter.

The majority of our present openings for those available to respond to fire calls during the day. You could be someone who works a second or third shift, a stay-at-home parent or work-from-home employee, or even someone who works rotating shifts.

Did you know that the City of Inver Grove Heights is protected by a volunteer/paid-on-call fire department? That means firefighters who respond to emergencies within Inver Grove Heights are not full-time city employees and do not sleep at the fire stations. They have other jobs outside of the fire department.

Paid-on-call departments are a new twist to those volunteer ranks. Today, Inver Grove Heights pays their “volunteers” an hourly wage for emergency calls, training and other department-related activities. Also, at the end of 20 years, there is a lump-sum retirement benefit.

The IGHFD responds to many types of emergencies, including house fires, ice rescues, vehicle accidents, water rescues, vehicle fires, hazardous materials incidents, medical calls and many others. In 2010, the IGHFD responded to more than 1,200 emergency calls. The IGHFD also spends time in the community educating the public on fire prevention as well as staying safe from fires and accidents. Members also provide CPR training to the public.

Because of the amount of required training, inherent risks of the job, and high cost of training and equipping a firefighter, “volunteering” in the pure sense has become a thing-of-the-past. So, becoming a firefighter can be a lengthy process. The training IGH firefighters go through is exactly the same as the full-time career firefighters in the big cities. There are strict attendance requirements for both training and emergency call attendance.

If interested, the first thing you will need to do is submit an IGHFD application. After a review of your application, you may get called in for an interview. If you make it through the interview process, you are given a conditional job offer, which means you are then required to pass a medical exam, physical ability test, psychological evaluation, drug screen and background check. Although belonging to the IGHFD Department can be lots of fun and very rewarding, it is a serious business and is treated as such.

Once those basic hiring requirements are completed, you are required to pass a firefighting course. This is held one day or one night a week, depending on your availability. This course consists of classroom sessions and hands-on activities. Students learn basic firefighting skills, including such things as using ladders, power tools and self-contained breathing equipment. After firefighting school, recruits then begin responding to actual emergencies. However, basic training continues with required courses in hazardous materials, medical first responder, truck driving and fire pump operation—for a total of well over 200 hours of basic firefighting training just to hit the minimum requirements. There are also weekly in-house training sessions required to keep skills current and sharp.

Sure, it sounds like a lot—and it is—but the information you learn is interesting, many of the skills can be used outside the fire department, the activities can challenge you both physically and mentally. AND you join one of the largest “families” around—the fire family! The IGHFD Is also known for its outstanding achievements. In just the past year, two firefighters have been recognized statewide for their achievements and one has been recognized at the county level!

Being a firefighter can be very rewarding. Do you want to give something back to the community? Do you like helping others? Do you want to join a “family” and make a lot of new friends? Do you like to be challenged? Do you have time to share? If you answered yes to all of these questions, we would like to receive your application! There are a couple of ways you can get a copy of the application: downloading it off the City website or calling the IGHFD to mail you one, or stopping by the IGHFD to pick one up in person. Once the application is completed, you can mail or fax it in or drop it off in person.

So—if you think you have what it takes to "answer the call”, especially if you are available most days, we want to hear from you. Applications will be accepted through Oct. 17. The administrative offices phone number is 651-455-5082 and are located at 7015 Clayton Avenue. Our email address is ighfire@invergroveheights.org.