How to Apply

Thank you for considering becoming part of our team at Benton County Fire District #1. This section is dedicated to explaining a little bit about our program, layout the application process, and list of the benefits offered by Benton County Fire District #1. We hope this brief explanation will help you make the decision to join our team.

PROGRAM OVERVIEW

Benton County Fire District #1 provides fire suppression, basic life support response, and hazardous materials response for an area that covers more than 350 square miles. The District is bordered by Kennewick to the North and extends to the Washington/Oregon border to the South. The District includes residential areas, commercial complexes, wildland areas, and more. To provide coverage to this diverse area, we currently have five fire stations and a district administrative office. Our career staff consists of a Administrative Fire Chief, Division Chief, Training Officer, Financial Officer, Administrative Assistant, Office Assistant, Maintenance Supervisor, Logistics Supervisor, and six Firefighters. The rest of the District is comprised of people like you who are volunteer firefighters, officers, and support service personnel. Our entire operation utilizes approximately 110 people. The District is administered by an elected Board of Commissioners with three members. This Board meets twice a month and is the final authority on all actions performed by the District and its members.

Safety and training are high priorities throughout the District and each station has one safety meeting per month as well as weekly training meetings. District personnel are required to attend a minimum amount of training and incident responses per month. For those people who work shifts and are unable to attend a night drill, a daytime drill is held each week on Thursday morning at the Fire Training Center.

REQUIREMENTS TO APPLY

To apply, you must meet the following requirements:

1. Be 18 years of age.
2. Have a High School Diploma or GED.
3. Have a valid Washington State Drivers License.
4. Have no felony convictions within the last seven years that could interfere with your work as a firefighter.
5. Have an insurable driving record.
6. Must be able to read and write the English language.
7. Must reside within five miles of a District fire station.
8. Must pass an entrance exam.
9. Must pass a physical exam and drug screening.
10. Must be capable of sustained arduous work.
11. Height and weight commensurate.

APPLICATION PROCESS

The following is a step-by-step process that will be followed from the time you pick up your application until the completion of recruit school. After receiving this application, you will;

1.  Return the completed application to the Fire District Office. The completed packet should include the following items:

• 5-Year drivers’ abstract from the Washington State Department of Motor Vehicles
• Copy of Social Security Card
• Copy of Washington State Driver’s License
• Copy of High School Diploma, GED, or College Diploma
• Copy of Proof of Vehicle Insurance
• Copy(s) of any applicable certifications or licenses (i.e., EMT, 1^st Aid, CPR)
2.  Personnel at the Fire District Office will review the application for completeness and request a criminal background check from the Washington State Patrol.
3.  An interview will be set up with the potential candidate at which time they will be assigned to the appropriate fire station.
4.  Completed application will be forwarded to the Fire Chief and Board of Trustees for final approval.
5.  After approval by the Board of Trustees, the applicant will be scheduled a time and date for a written test, oral interview, and physical agility exam.
6  Upon successful completion of the written, oral, and agility assessment, the candidate will be issued training equipment and must schedule a physical exam through the Fire District Physician.
7.  After passing the physical exam, the recruit may begin participating in all district training and will be scheduled for the next available recruit school.

BENEFITS

Along with being involved in exciting and challenging volunteer work, here are some benefits that are offered by the District. The following is a list of some of the programs that are either offered or provided;

1. Volunteer Relief and Pension Fund - Offered
2. Life Insurance Policy, $10,000 - Provided
3. Death and Disability Insurance above and beyond the Volunteer Relief and Pension Fund - Provided
4. Reimbursement for pre approved fire related college courses - Offered
5. Additional Training Classes - Provided
6. Medical physical every other year, or as required - Provided

In addition, our volunteers receive compensation for expenses incurred during responses and training. A firefighter is reimbursed $7.90 per response or training session.

CLOSING REMARKS