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| Calls Fire Calls Ambulance Calls Mutual Aid Sunday Drills Point System Drills Parades General Info We are a 125 member all-volunteer fire department. We have about 25 EMT's and always looking for more. We do not pay any firemen or EMT's. All members are extremely dedicated to providing our community with professional (and speedy) fire protection and emergency medical treatment. Each member gets a fire pager. This pager beeps when there is a call. Anyone who is available when the pagers go off proceed to the fire house where their gear is waiting. If it is an ambulance call, they go to the ambulance shed. For ambulance calls, only three members go (Driver, EMT, and an attendant). For fire calls, as many people go as the call needs. Everyone who shows up gets one(1) point (explained below). Typically we get a fire call approximately every 2-3 days. Sometimes more, sometimes less. Each type of call (PIAA, structure fire, pump out, etc.) has it's own protocols as to which trucks responds first. When you arrive at the station, you suit up and hop on the truck that is due out first (unless you are on probation). You can except a fire call to last any where from 30 minutes to 3 hours. Of course if it's a structure fire it may take longer. We get about an ambulance call a day. These calls will take approximately 1 1/2 hours from the time the call comes out. We get anything from broken toes to heart attacks, to car accidents, to sports related injuries. For each ambulance call three members need to respond. This works on a first-come first-serve basis (except during duty hours). When your pager goes off, you are asked to call 40-control (our dispatcher) and let them know that you will be responding. There needs to be 1 driver, 1 EMT, and 1 attendant. The Paramedics will be called to the scene for life threatening calls. On rare occasions when we can't get enough people to respond to a call, we then make it a "mutual aid" call. This is when neighboring towns, (primarily Carmel, Kent, and Patterson) will respond to the calls for us. This works boths ways. If Carmel, for instance, could not get enough people to cover a call, then the dispatcher would dispatch Lake Carmel to cover their call. This is just another way that we make sure that everyone get's the best, and quickest, treatment possible. The majority of mutual aid calls are ambulance related, however, there are some occasions when the fire department gets called for mutual aid. Another major reason for the mutual aid is when another company needs extra man-power (I guess people-power would be more P.C.). For example, at a structure fire, or at a multi car accident. Each Sunday (except holidays) the majority of the members come down to the fire house (Station I and Station II) to help prepare the trucks for the next week. This includes washing the trucks, checking air pressure in the tires, as well as checking all of the equipment on each truck. Sundays are also a time for learning. Many times we will have drills. You may learn how to drive a truck, pump a truck, or how to cut a whole in a roof of a house (fake roofs, of course). Every time a member responds to a fire or ambulance call, attends a drill or attends a meeting he/she gets 1 point.(There are several other ways to get points, i.e. stand-by for another fire company) In order to remain active in the department, you must obtain 25 points a year and in order to vote for offices you must obtain 50 points a year. Now even though this may sound like a lot, it really isn't. Many volunteers can earn hundreds of points over the course of one year. Normally, every second Thursday we have a department drill. They are usually at one of three places, the main station, the substation, or the training center in Kent. The drills are usually about 1-2 hours long and are optional, but strongly encouraged. Being a member of the Lake Carmel Fire Department isn't all work and no play. We march in about 5-7 parades every summer. All members (if they want to), recieve a full marching uniform. After each parade there is a carnival. What many people don't realize is that all of the fire departments marching in the parade are getting judge. We are all fighting for trophies that are handed out at the end of the parade. If you are interested in becoming a member, or would like more information, please click here. |
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Last Updated:
Monday, March 21, 2005
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