Becoming a Volunteer


So, you'd like to become a Santa Cruz County Fire volunteer with Company 29, South Skyline Fire & Rescue. Great! There are a series of steps to go through prior to becoming a member.

Prerequisites

  • You need to reside in our response area, which extends along Highway 35 from Bear Creek Road, north to the San Mateo County line, and south on Highway 9 to Highway 236.
  • Be at least 18 years of age and in good physical condition.
  • Have a current and valid drivers license or state photo identification.
  • Attend two company trainings to meet the group, find out who we are, and ask questions.
  • Complete and return the Volunteer Firefighter Application along with a current DMV printout. The application is reviewed by the Company 29 officers and our battalion chief. If the application is approved, it is placed in a pending status until the next step is completed.
  • Complete and pass the CPAT (Candidate Physical Ability Test). The CPAT Testing Center is an indoor facility designed with the firefighter candidate in mind. For a modest registration fee, candidates receive an orientation and a rigorous, professionally run test covering eight basic skills. You will be reimbursed by Santa Cruz County Fire for the registration fee. Additional information is located at the CPAT web site. We recommend that you watch the video under Preparing for the CPAT.
  • After the application is approved and you have passed CPAT, you must complete and pass a physical exam provided by the Santa Cruz Occupational Medical Center. Santa Cruz County Fire will assist with scheduling and appointment and will pay all necessary fees.

Once all of those steps are successfully completed, you are covered by California state worker's compensation insurance, and you are part of the team! You are now able to attend and participate in Company 29 training drills and Basic Firefighter Academy classes. Santa Cruz County Fire (CZU) maintains a web site which lists available classes. We'll summarize the training here.

Initial Training

Your first class as a Trainee is Safety and Orientation, a one-day class which introduces you to the fire service and CZU policies. This is a prerequisite for all other classes. After that, there are four major modules (EMS, HazMat, Wildland, Structure) as well as some short classes to complete. CZU tries to accommodate the volunteer by scheduling most classes on weekends. All classes are provided by CZU unless otherwise specified.

  • EMS - you will need to be certified to at least the First Responder EMS level. This training is provided by the Red Cross or a local community college. It is preferable to obtain an EMT-1D certification. EMT is a more in-depth curriculum. Most local colleges offer a class once or twice a year, and ETS in Santa Cruz has a very good program. EMT can take 2-3 times as long as First Responder.
  • ICS-100 and ICS-200 are introductions to the Incident Command System. These are online classes and must be completed prior to most of the following modules.
  • SCBA (Self Contained Breathing Apparatus) training with Company 29.
  • Hazmat - This 4 day class is given at least once a year and covers the basic operational response to hazardous materials events with a focus on safety.
  • Defensive Driver is a half day class reviewing safe driving techniques. This is required once every 4 years by the Office of Risk Management.
  • Wildland Firefighting - This 4 day class is given each spring and covers the basics of vegetation fires.
  • Structure Fire Academy - This module provides knowledge of basic fire behavior, ventilation, basic search techniques, hose advancement, and ladders. There are live fire exercises with this class. This is a 5 day class.
  • Water Rescue Awareness is a 6 hour class about water dynamics and safety around swift water.

Once you have completed the modules through HazMat, you will be issued a radio pager and you are able to respond to non-fire incidents in a supervised trainee capacity. When all of the modules are completed, you can respond to all incidents. Note that it can take 8 to 12 months to complete the basic training. At the completion of all of these modules, you are a Volunteer Firefighter I.

Beyond VFF I

After VFF I, two required classes, Vehicle Extrication and Low Angle Rope Rescue will get you to VFF II. The Driver/Operator series (including Emergency Vehicle Operations, Pump Operations, Commanding the Initial Response, Wildland Interface Zone S-215, and Engine Boss S-231, as well as obtaining a Class B license from the DMV) will prepare you for the Volunteer Engineer position.