Fire Corps

Fire and emergency service departments all across the nation are struggling with increasing demands for service coupled with reduced funding. In order to respond to these increasing demands and provide more services to the community, the Fairfield Township Fire Department has established a Fire Corps program and is seeking volunteers to help.

Fire Corps creates opportunities for citizens to give back to their community by providing non-emergency assistance to their local fire/EMS department. From creating websites to maintaining vehicles, promoting life safety education or offering administrative assistance, you can help your community become safer and better prepared for natural disasters, terrorist threats and other emergencies.

“This program will allow the department to continue meeting the public education needs of our community. On duty firefighters will still participate in programs, but with the addition of the Fire Corp members, a program will continue if Firefighters have to leave and respond to an emergency” said Chief Thomas.

Fire Corps, a component of the Department of Homeland Security’s Citizen Corps program, is a national grassroots effort to increase the capacity of volunteer, career and combination fire and EMS departments through the use of community volunteers. Fire Corps provides resources for departments to utilize volunteers in non-emergency roles so they can develop, implement, and sustain programs and services that will help their department meet the needs of their community.

For more information or to become a Fire Corps volunteer, contact Fairfield Township Fire Department at (513)887-4402 or visit our web site at FairfieldTwp.org. Informational Flyer 

Fire Corps Fact Sheet 

Fire Corps is a locally-driven program under Citizen Corps that enables community members to offer their time and talents to their local fire/EMS department in a non-emergency role. 

Citizen Corps is an initiative under the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to help coordinate volunteer activities that will make our communities safer, stronger, and better prepared to respond to any emergency situation. 

Registered Fire Corps programs and their departments may be eligible for increased grant opportunities through your local Citizen Corps Council and through the DHS Assistance to Firefighters Grant Program. 

Fire Corps was launched in December 2004 and is administered on a national level by the National Volunteer Fire Council in partnership with other fire service organizations. Both volunteer and career departments have Fire Corps programs. 

Fire Corps members support fire and EMS departments by performing non-emergency tasks, enabling department members to focus on emergency response and training. There are many ways community members can contribute to their local department, including, but not limited to:

  • Fire Prevention and Safety Education Rehab or Canteen Services
  • Fundraising Data Entry
  • Bookkeeping Administrative Functions
  • Public Relations Preplanning and Research
  • Apparatus and Facility Maintenance Bilingual Assistance

Engaging community members allows departments to increase the services they offer, such as enhanced fire safety education programs. In return, participants gain a greater understanding of the emergency services and become better prepared to handle their own emergency situations. 

Fire Corps aids in retention and recruitment efforts of first responders. Firefighters are able to focus on the emergency functions they signed up for while Fire Corps members tackle the nonemergency tasks. Also, Fire Corps members may ultimately decide to become first responders. 

The Fire Corps national office offers assistance and resources to citizens and departments to start, market, maintain, and expand local programs. Learn more at www.firecorps.org. 

If citizens offer their time to support a department in a non-emergency capacity, it qualifies as a Fire Corps program and can be registered with the national Fire Corps program. Registration is free at www.firecorps.org. 

Community members can call 1-800-FIRE-LINE to find out about local Fire Corps or first responder opportunities in their area. FIRE-LINE is a national recruitment campaign administered by the National Volunteer Fire Council through Fire Corps. 

Learn more about Fire Corps at www.firecorps.org or call 1-888-FC-INFO1 (324-6361).