Volunteers are required to attend 24 hours of initial training given by Rutherford County Emergency Management Agency for Homeland Security and must pass testing in order to obtain certification. This training is designed to prepare volunteer for disaster preparedness, fire safety, disaster medical operation, light search & rescue operations and disaster psychology.

Training includes:

Fire Suppression- putting out small fires, turning off gas lines and turning off electricity main boxes in damaged areas.

Search and Rescue- searching for victims that may be trapped and cannot rescue themselves; providing first response rescue and medical aid until medical personnel arrive.

Triage- determining severity of victim’s injuries and prioritizing medical needs.

Medical Treatment- providing victims wirh medical treatment within the scope of the training received.

After certification, additional training is provided to maintain knowledge and skills.

FIRE CORPS

Fire Corps is a program is a program that allows community members to offer their time and talents to their local fire and EMS departments in a nonoperational or non-emergency capacity. It serves as a gateway to information for and about fire and EMS departments programs. Fire Corps meets both the citizen’s desire to serve and the departments’ needs for support during emergencies ranging from fires and vehicle accidents to tornadoes and/or severe weather conditions.