Volunteer Recruitment FAQ’s – Frequently Asked Questions

The recruitment process begins when an applicant completes a Volunteer Application Package and returns it to the Administration Office in person or by mail.

Applications are reviewed and if found to be complete, applicants are contacted and a panel interview is scheduled. The interview panel selects applicants to move forward to the testing phase. Applicants should consider starting to fill out a statement of personal history questionnaire for their background check.

The testing phase includes a physical ability test based on the specific position the applicant has applied for and a psychological screening test. Upon passing the physical ability testing a statement of personal history questionnaire will need to be submitted.

A thorough background investigation including but not limited to driving records, criminal history and review of your psychological screening test will take several weeks to complete. Upon completing the background check you will be directed to make an appointment with our occupational health and drug screening provider at our expense. Once we have received passing results of your occupational health and drug screening, you will be contacted to finalize your affiliation with the organization by attending an orientation date and completing onboarding paperwork.

Volunteers are asked to commit to certain monthly minimum activity requirements depending on their role with the organization. Please see the table below for an overview of these requirements.

Volunteer Firefighter Single Role EMS Volunteer Operations Support Volunteer
Training Hours/Foundation Meeting 6 6 6
12 Hour Shifts 3 (or 36 hours) 3 (or 36 hours) N/A
Home Station Responses N/A N/A 50%
Public Education 16 hours annually.

If you would like to be a firefighter but don’t have an existing certification or the necessary coursework completed, we have a process to complete that. Complete and turn in an application for Operations Support Volunteer and complete that process. Once you have completed that initial training (about 90 days depending on your availability), you can then contact the Training Division to set up a personal development plan to acquire that training. Before attending skills exercises, you will need to pass the Candidate Physical Ability Test (CPAT) for firefighters.

MCFD1 uses the NTN Candidate Physical Ability Test for Firefighter positions.

NTN Candidate Physical Ability Test (CPAT) (opens in a new tab/window)

Yes.
All positions have a relevant physical ability test related to the essential functions of the position and are timed. While we do not have videos of these tests available at this time, their summary can be reviewed here.

EMS Volunteers are tested to ensure they can perform the following tasks safely;

  • Enter and exit a Medic Unit utilizing a seatbelt.
  • Carry two actual gear bags with medical equipment and supplies up and down steps and be able to set them down and pick them up again by bending at the knees and keeping your back straight.
  • Perform high performance CPR for two minutes to the proper depth and rate as measured by an electronic CPR mannequin.
  • Lift one end of a backboard with 130 lbs of weight from the ground to waist high by squatting down and keeping your back straight.
  • Lift and hold an EZ Curl bar with 75 lbs of weight (simulating 1/2 of a stair chair and seated patient) while stepping forward and backwards going up and down a set of 5 steps.
  • Remove and install a patient gurney from the rear of a Medic Unit.
  • Perform 3 minutes of stair steps without stopping with the ability to change step pattern as needed to accomodate fatigue.
  • Accurately assemble an adult bag valve mask (BVM) assembly, attach to a standard oxygen delivery system and flow 15L of O².

By clicking on this EMS Physical Ability Test link (opens in a new window) you can read more detailed information about and how to successfully pass the test. Practice tests are not available.

Operations Support Volunteers are tested to ensure they can perform the following tasks safely;

  • Enter and exit a Tender utilizing a seatbelt.
  • Remove an empty 2500 gallon portable water tank from the stored position on the side of a Tender to the ground. An assistant will be provided to equally lift and lower the opposite end of the portable tank.
  • Retrieve from side compartments two valve appliances, hydrant wrench and two 25 foot rolls of 3 inch fire hose.
  • Carry items from compartments to a designated fire hydrant 50 feet away.
  • Remove the caps from a fire hydrant using a hydrant wrench.
  • Attach two valve appliances to the side of the fire hydrant.
  • Advance a dry 50 foot long 3 inch hose approximately 50 feet.
  • Roll up a 50 foot long 3 inch piece of hose.

By clicking on this Tender Operator Physical Ability link (opens in a new window) you can read more detailed information about and how to successfully pass the test. Practice tests are not available.

Yes. All Emergency Medical, Firefighter and Operations Support positions are required to complete specific coursework from FEMA’s National Incident Management System (NIMS). The free courses listed below must be completed before you will be allowed to respond to incidents. You do not need to submit paper copies of these certifications with your application materials. You may note on your application in the appropriate space that you have completed these courses if you have done so.

  • ICS-100: Introduction to the Incident Command System
  • ICS-200: ICS for Single Resources and Initial Action Incidents
  • IS-700: National Incident Management System, An Introduction
  • IS-800: National Response Framework, An Introduction

Operations Support Volunteers (optionally) while all Firefighters are required to complete (at minimum) the course work related to NWCG Firefighter Type 2 that is available for free at the National Wildfire Coordinating Group Training and Qualifications website. You do not need to submit paper copies of these certifications with your application materials. You may note on your application in the appropriate space that you have completed these courses if you have done so. Please note that you must follow the website instructions and PC requirements precisely to ensure that coursework completed is recorded accurately. That coursework includes the following.

  • S-190, Introduction to Wildland Fire Behavior
  • S-130, Firefighter Training
    (Recent NWCG Red Card Training and Certification may substitute for this training.)

Several community colleges around the country offer the academic coursework through an associates of applied science program. Not all college programs will offer an NFPA Firefighter 1 certification due to additional hands-on training requirements that may not be available at that institution.

Individual college transcripts will need to be evaluated by our Training Division to determine what additional requirements will be needed (if any).

Nationally recognized certifications including US Military Department of Defense (DOD), IFSAC and Pro-Board generally qualify for reciprocity.

If an applicant is unable to attend a specific date listed in the recruitment timeline due to a conflict, we may be able to accommodate you with an alternative date and time depending on the topic. For example, if a Firefighter applicant is unable to attend skills testing on the specific date offered he/she may optionally take the CPAT in addition to arranging a date/time during normal business hours to take the psychological screening test. Arrangements must be made in advance before the missed event occurs. Every effort is made to communicate important dates ahead of time. With limited staffing and resources we are not always able to accommodate all requests.