Who Volunteers
Our volunteers range from 16 year old high school students to retirees in their 70's and beyond. Some of our volunteers are in college and only “run” with the company on weekends, holidays, and summer. There isn’t just one “kind” of person that joins. Of those who are employed we have accountants, road builders, mechanics, computer programmers, farmers, and more. While there are some volunteers that are third generation, there are many “first timers”. Some of our members belong to multiple fire companies, and in some cases, an ambulance company. The reasons vary for why members belong to multiple companies. Some want experience, some want to go on to be professional fire fighters. Sometimes members belong to two companies because one fire company is near work, and they “run” with that fire company during work hours, and the other fire company is near where they live.
What Ridge Fire Fighter Volunteers do
Fire Fighter volunteers do more than fight fires. Ridge provides Fire Prevention talks and Fire House tours. Most fire houses, including Ridge, have at least one "heavy" rescue truck. This truck has various pieces of rescue equipment, including the "Jaws Of Life". Many of the calls Ridge Fire House gets are to extract people from wrecked cars. Volunteers assist at many ambulance calls. This assistance might be helping get the person out the building, directing traffic on a busy street around the ambulance, or doing CPR and assisting the paramedics, and possibly driving the ambulance. Driving frees the paramedics to continue patient care.
When there is the need, a helicopter landing area may need to be created. Volunteers mark off an area to provide a secure area for the helicopter to land, set flares, provide light, move people back, have a fire truck standing by, and assist getting the patient into the helicopter. Sometimes the fire fighters are called to be on hand during a practice fire drill for a local company. The drill is then evaluated and suggestions made. Tours, called preplanning, of local nursing homes and businesses familiarize fire fighters with exits, floor plans, procedures, etc BEFORE they are needed.
Volunteers are called to assist at many community events. This assistance might be directing traffic or having a truck ready "just in case" during fire works or large bonfires. Ridge Fire Company maintains a section of local road by picking up trash a couple of times a year. This stretch of road is along Ellis Woods Rd from Bethel Church Rd crossing Ridge/Rt23 continuing along Sheeder Rd to Pughtown Rd. This is a partial list of the many public services that Ridge and other volunteer fire companies provide.
To be a Volunteer
Volunteers in the Ridge Fire Company must be at least 16 years old. You need to fill out an application and submit with a $3.00 fee, which counts as the first years dues, and a Criminal Background check. If accepted in the Fire Company this fee is used for the first year's dues. The application is announced at a monthly meeting. A background check by local police assures that there is no reason to refuse the application. If the background check doesn’t turn up anything, the applicant is voted on at the next monthly meeting. To remain active a member needs to attend meetings, assist with calls and pay the yearly $2.00 fee. If you are 16 to just under 18 years old you will need to get working papers from your school. You are also exempt from the application and yearly fees.
While waiting for your paper work to be processed PLEASE come by and visit so you get to meet us and we get to meet you. We won't be able to vote on your admission if we haven't met you!! We meet for work nights most Tuesdays at 1900 Hours {7:00 PM}. Members start to gather between 1830 Hours {6:30 PM} and 1845 Hours {6:45 PM}. Check the CALENDAR to see what we might be doing on any particular Tuesday. If we are scheduled for an Off-Site activity you might want to come a different evening. During the warm weather many of the Off-Site activity are things such as pump practice. For activities like that, many times, you can follow in your personal vehicle and watch.
Link to Fire Company Application
{Print out, Fill in, & Mail}
{has Application as download}
{Criminal Background Check forms can be found at schools, Pennsylvania State Police Barracks and from the Pennsylvania State Police web site}
Link to Pennsylvania Access To Criminal History State Police Web Site
To Mail or Fax application:
Ridge Fire Company #1
480 Ridge Road
Spring City, PA 19475-9678
Fax: (610) 495-5106
Types of Members
There are three types of members, SOCIAL, ACTIVE, and FIRE POLICE. All are considered Fire Fighters!! All take the basic in-house CPR, Hazardous Materials, and other required training.
A SOCIAL member comes to the meetings and helps with work around the fire house, washing trucks, mowing the grass, being in parades, helping with Fire House tours and Fire Prevention Week activities, etc.
An ACTIVE member has the privileges of the SOCIAL member plus learns about fire fighting and helps at fires. If the ACTIVE member is under 18 years old he/she is considered a Junior and there are some restrictions. While Juniors can ride on the trucks, they can only go out if there is room, and can get “bumped” from the truck if a Senior members arrives. Junior members are not allowed into burning buildings.
A FIRE POLICE member is considered a Fire Fighter first. The member MUST be a Fire Company member in good standing . To be a Fire Policeman the member must be at least 21 years old. A Fire Policeman is presented to the East Coventry township board and must be sworn in by a Pennsylvania judge. There are Fire Police classes that must be taken. A Fire Policeman’s job is to make sure the fire, accident, helicopter landing zone, or any incident is safe for the fire fighters. Fire Police provide crowd management, traffic control and any other tasks necessary to provide a safe environment for both the public and the firefighters.
For those who are interested there is also the Ladies Auxilary. Many of the firefighters assist in the kitchen during Auction Days.
To learn more about the Ladies Auxilary go the Ladies Auxilary Volunteer Page
Volunteer
We are always glad to get new members. We only ask that you make a commitment to show up and help. We understand that it isn’t possible to make all meetings or incidents. We all have many other commitments. If you aren’t in our local area think about checking with your local fire houses. Most volunteer fire companies will have monthly meetings and, usually weekly, work/practice meetings. Each company will have its own rules, regulations, and requirements.