Roles

You do not need to become a firefighter or EMT to fill an important role in the Fire Company. Support members help maintain the fire station, assist with events and fundraisers, and may be called on to bring drinks or food to the scene of a long call. There is always work to be done, and always room for anyone willing to help do it. Commit as much time as you want to.

Active members consist of all of our members who respond to emergency calls: this includes exterior and interior firefighters, emergency medical personnel, and fire police. All categories of active members are required to have an annual physical exam (at no cost to the member) and obtain the following initial training: CPR and First Aid certifications Incident Command System 100 and 700: 3-hour courses offered online by FEMA, cover common terminology and principles for emergency services nationally. Hazardous Materials First Responder Operations: New York State course, usually offered once or twice per year in Tompkins County. Active members are also expected to regularly attend the Fire Company's training and meetings on Monday nights at 7:00 PM and to occasionally be available for Saturday training. This includes annual OSHA-required safety training.

Exterior firefighters perform all fire suppression skills except for using self-contained breathing apparatus to enter hazardous atmospheres or actively burning buildings. This includes advancing and operating hose lines, deploying ladders, operating pumps, securing a water supply, extricating trapped victims from wrecked vehicles, fighting grass & brush fires, and protecting neighboring structures from a fire. Most of our calls do not involve entering a burning structure and require only exterior firefighting skills; further, the actions of interior firefighters would be impossible without extensive support from exterior personnel. In addition to the requirements for all active members, exterior firefighters need to take the 27-hour Scene Support Operations course. This is a New York State course usually offered annually in Tompkins County (plus offerings in surrounding counties) over about two or three nights or weekends per week for about three weeks.

Only a few of our members are interior firefighters, trained to do what everyone thinks of firefighters doing: enter burning buildings to rescue trapped victims and put out the fire. Additionally, their training to use self-contained breathing apparatus enables them to get close to the toxic smoke produced by vehicle fires, or to deal with gas leaks or carbon monoxide problems. In addition to the requirements for all active members, interior firefighters need to take the 87-hour Firefighter I course (about three months of a few nights per week, plus a weekend) and the 12-hour Firefighter Survival course (one weekend), and participate in regular SCBA training within the Fire Company.

Five out of six of our calls are medical in nature. As a non-transporting first response service, we provide initial care in an emergency before transferring patients to Bangs Ambulance when they arrive. Danby provides emergency medical care at the Basic Life Support Level. Medical responders in the department are certified at one of two levels: Emergency Medical Technician - Basic (EMT-B): (approx. 150 hours plus some online work plus some ambulance/hospital time): Basic life support provider, trained to assess and manage immediate life threats. Also treats fractures, other trauma, and other medical issues. Can cancel an ambulance under certain circumstances and “sign off” a patient. Course usually offered twice each year, fall and spring semesters, by TC3. Additionally, local fire departments will sometimes sponsor an EMT course on another schedule. Certified First Responder (CFR): (approx. 54 hours plus some online work): Trained to assess and manage immediate life threats. Training is less intensive than that required for the EMT. For this reason many find it a more feasible training program. Also makes a great introduction to becoming an emergency medical responder. The course if offered on an occasional basis at the New York State Academy of Fire Science in Montour Falls and by some fire departments. The NYS Department of Health certifies two higher levels of care, AEMT-Advanced and AEMT-Paramedic. Danby is not equipped to provide care at these levels, but these are career opportunities for individuals who become an EMT with us and discover that they like it.

Fire police perform some of the most dangerous work for arguably the least recognition. Although fires are dangerous, one of the greatest hazards to firefighters is being struck by a careless driver on an emergency scene. A fire or accident can be very disruptive to traffic, and also create a spectacle that distracts drivers. The primary duty of fire police is to control traffic around an emergency scene in order to protect our members and the public from this danger. This often means standing for hours in inclement weather, doing work that is not as "exciting" or "heroic" as fighting fire or extricating an accident victim; however, fire police are an absolutely essential part of nearly all of our operations. Fire police may also perform other scene protection duties such as securing the scene during a fire investigation. In addition to the requirements for active members, fire police take a 21-hour New York State course and are sworn in as peace officers.

We understand that not everyone has the free time to give to joining the Fire Company. If this is your situation, you can still help us help you by taking a little time to make sure that you know how to help prevent and prepare for common emergencies. See our Safety Information page to learn more. You can also support us at community events or make a donation.

Prospective volunteers must appear at a monthly business meeting of the Fire Company to submit their application. Business meetings are held at the fire station on the second Monday of each month at 7:00 PM. Application forms may be obtained by visiting Company training, on all other Mondays (except holidays) at 7:00 PM, or any of our community events. Applicants are strongly encouraged to come to our training prior to applying in order to introduce themselves. Applications are voted on by the members of the Fire Company, and if they are accepted, they are then voted on by the Board of Fire Commissioners at their own meeting. Applicants will be notified by mail of their acceptance, typically after about two weeks. In accordance with New York State law, new members must pass a background check for arson. New members must complete a probationary period of six months to one year. During this time, they must get a physical exam and should begin working to obtain the training required for whichever duties they wish to perform. After the probationary period, the members of the Fire Company will vote on whether to accept the individual as a full member.