Fire Rescue
Reserve Division History
The Alachua County Fire Rescue Reserve Division is a volunteer auxiliary force whose primary role is to support the career service personnel of the Department. The Reserve Division is comprised of trained volunteers who provide on-scene assistance at fires, medical emergencies, natural disasters and public events.
An Auxiliary Program was first conceived and established in the mid-1980's to provide EMT graduates an opportunity to gain experience during the transition from EMT to Paramedic. The Auxiliary Program was established with an initial force of approximately 20 EMT's, who supported the Department's Emergency Medical Services Division with personnel for stand by at special events and BLS first response.
At the direction of the Board of County Commissioners, the Department undertook the task of developing a volunteer-based force with which to augment the Career Service personnel. A countywide recruitment program was begun, and the Reserve Division was organized with the addition of these new volunteers. The Department offered both the State of Florida approved Volunteer Firefighter and First Responder to Medical Emergency Training Programs through the Reserve Division, and by January 1995, the Reserve Division became a recognized component of the Department.
The Department offers the members of the Reserve Division education, training, equipment, use of facilities and the opportunity to serve the community. Today, the 72 members of the Reserve Division are trained first in Fire Suppression and Emergency Medical Services. After this training, each may pursue training in a variety of other skills.
Currently, 34 Reserve Division members have attained as much as 160 hours of fire suppression training, and are Volunteer Firefighters. Additionally, 13 have attained 450 hours of fire suppression training, and are Minimum Standards Firefighters. In Emergency Medical Services, 43 Reserve Members are trained as Medical First Responders, 27 are certified by the State of Florida as Emergency Medical Technicians (EMT's) and 1 is certified as a Paramedic. Members may work at any of the Department's 6 fire stations and 11 medic units. Members also provide Basic Life Support medical teams during special events including football games, fairs, festivals or other public events that will be attended by a large number people.
Members of the Reserve Division serve in many different capacities, and the majority are assigned to one of three operations shifts. Reserve Members, who are not assigned to a shift augmenting staffing at fire stations and on Medic Units, may work on the Department's Bicycle Response Team. This Team utilizes mountain bikes equipped with medical supplies to provide a rapid response capability to medical emergencies in situations that might cause a delay in the arrival of ambulances and fire apparatus. The Bicycle Response Team is organized into two-person patrol units comprised of one First Responder and one Emergency Medical Technician. These Units typically arrive several minutes before the fire apparatus or ambulance. The Unit can immediately assess the patient and initiate appropriate medical care, saving valuable time for the patient. Exclusively, twelve (12) members of the Reserve Division staff the Bicycle Response Team Units operating on the campus of the University of Florida. The Bicycle Response Team Units that are activated during special events are staffed jointly by members of the Reserve Division and the Department's Career Service personnel.
Nine (9) Members of the Reserve Division, who are licensed by the FCC as Amateur Radio Operators, serve on the Communications Team. The Communications Team maintains the Reserve Division's radio and paging equipment and provides additional radio frequencies and communications support during special events. These personnel also work closely with the Office of Emergency Management to provide communication support during local and statewide emergencies. In times of disaster, this Team can quickly re-establish radio communications between dispatchers, On-scene Commanders, hospitals and local governments.
Four (4) members of the Reserve Division, and six (6) Career Service personnel are assigned to the Department's Water Rescue Team. This Team provides waterway rescue services to Alachua County, the State of Florida, and the southeastern United States under existing mutual aid agreements. The Team members are certified by the Personal Watercraft Industry Association as Personal Watercraft Rescue Technicians and provide a rapid response capability to waterway accidents and flooding incidents. The Water Rescue Team participates in joint training exercises with the U.S. Coast Guard, Water Rescue Teams from other fire departments in the region, and with the Lifeguard Corps of St. Johns and Flagler Counties.
The Reserve Division also provides staff to assist the Department's Public Education Office, which offers presentations on life safety and injury prevention. Members of the Reserve Division make presentations at schools, community organizations and businesses providing information and literature. In addition, six (6) members of the Reserve Division perform as clowns to deliver their public education and safety messages to children and young adults.
The Reserve Division also supervises the Department's twelve- (12) member Explorer Post 507. The Post, chartered by the Boy Scouts of America and sponsored by the Department, meets weekly at one of the Department's fire stations and teaches young adults ages 14 to 20, about careers in fire service and emergency medicine.
The Reserve Division fulfils many roles and accomplishes many objectives. The most important of which is to serve as a well-trained volunteer force which assists with the multiplicity of tasks the Department must accomplish every day. Additionally, by providing opportunities in basic training, an opportunity exists through the Reserve Division for those who are interested to explore a public safety career without having to make a long-term commitment. Each member of the Reserve Division submits a monthly log documenting their activities with the Department. Each member is required to spend 18 hours, either in training or in service to be considered active with the Department. During the first quarter of FY 98/99, each member averaged 35.5 hours of time - 16.5 hours in training related activities and 19 hours serving in an operational capacity. On six separate occasions, a member of the Reserve Division happened upon the scene of an emergency and stopped to render aid. The true value of the Reserve Division is immeasurable. However, if the time donated in service by the Reserve were calculated based on Career Service salaries, it would have cost the Department more than $12,358.00 in the first quarter of the year.
Whether serving as firefighters, EMT's, educating the public, or preparing for disaster, the Reserves are ready, willing and able to effectively support the Department in its service to the citizens of Gainesville and Alachua County.
