You may be wondering “what exactly do we mean when we say RTFC’s crew is ‘all volunteer’?” Well, “all volunteer” means precisely what it sounds like: no one at RTFC, including the crews that show up on the fire truck when you call 911, is paid.  

Rest assured, you get more than you pay for. Your local fire company is highly trained, and many members of our crew have decades of experience. Every firefighter who is responsible for going inside a burning building must first complete nearly 200 hours of training and pass both a practical and written test. And those 200 hours are just the beginning. Many of our members attend additional trainings to learn more advanced firefighting techniques, or other specialized skills like vehicle or water rescue. All of which doesn’t account for the weekly trainings member attend at the station or do on their own time.

But, how can volunteers provide round-the-clock coverage? Contrary to what many think, members don’t work shifts. Instead, they’re on call 24 hours a day, seven days a week. When you dial 911 and the fire department is needed, members are instantly alerted to the emergency via an alarm on their phone or a specialized pager, over their radio, and by the siren outside the fire station. As soon as they receive the alert, they drop what they’re doing and get to the station as quickly as possible so they can don their gear, board the truck, and get to the emergency as soon as possible. Many of our members respond to more than 100 alarms a year, and some respond to as many as 300.  

If this sounds like a lot, that’s because it is. But RTFC’s members love what they do and are proud of the service they provide to the Township. If you’re interested in helping out, contact us on social media to find out how you can do your part (@RoseTreeFireCompany on Facebook and Instagram), or visit our webpage to make a donation (https://www.rosetreefire.com/donate-online/).