Tagish Volunteer Fire Department
WELCOME:
Whatever your reason for wanting to join the Tagish Volunteer Fire Department
(TVFD) , you will find the Tagish VFD and the Fire Service in general, fun and
exciting. We have an excellent group of people and we are very proud to be
volunteering and helping our community.
{module Fire Dept. Photos}
You will find firefighters have a common mission, dedication, objectives and
values as set out below:
Mission Statement
We, the members of Tagish Fire Department, strive to create a safer
environment within our community by respecting, educating, training
and responding to those in need.
Dedication & Objectives
Tagish Fire Department is dedicated to
• Life Safety
• Scene Stabilization
• Property Conservation
• And for all fire department members, residents, and people
passing through the community who may require the assistance
of the TVFD.
Values
Tagish Fire Department values are:
• Teamwork
• Professionalism
• Innovation
These values apply to its members and the residents of our
community.
Safety of fire fighters is paramount at all times. At no time should a fire fighter
engage in or undertake to perform firefighting activities they are not trained to
perform.
PURPOSE
The purpose of this document is to make you aware of the history and organization of TVFD, as
well as the criteria, requirements and expectations of being a part of the TVFD and Yukon Fire
Service.
HISTORY
The Tagish Volunteer Fire Department was created in 1992. The first Hall was built after the
community identified the need for a Fire Hall and a volunteer department. The present Hall has
seen a couple of additions. Originally it consisted of two truck bay, and was built with funds
provided through the Yukon Government's Community Development Fund. In order to construct
the Hall, the funds provided were supplemented with hours of volunteer labor.
Tagish has a strong tradition of volunteer fire fighters. TVFD members respond to structural and
vehicle fires; are the first response in our area to forest fires; attend at accidents and other scenes
when requested; and perform a number of other duties to serve the community.
In addition to the support from YTG, the fire department and society are active in enhancing fire
protection capability. An example is the 4x4 "bush" truck that the members obtained to allow
access to roads that the large equipment can't travel on; and on numerous occasions this truck
has been used as a first response vehicle for brush fires and is put into service when members
have been placed on community fire patrols during times of extreme wild land fire dangers.
ORGANIZATION & STRUCTURE
TVFD along with 16 other volunteer fire departments falls under the direction of the Yukon Fire
Marshal's Office for equipment, training, and everyday fire department needs.
Ideally, the TVFD should have a minimum of 15 members, and recruitment is an ongoing
initiative. At the present time we are structured around a Fire Chief, Deputy Fire Chief, and
firefighters.
The Chief and/or Deputy duties include some administrative matters, training, and work with the
members regarding their responsibility
THE SOCIETY:
The Department was set up through a registered society under the provisions of the Yukon
Societies Act. All financial matters are managed through the Society. All provisions of the
Societies Act apply. There is an annual general meeting, usually held in May and at the AGM
there is an election of officers. A number of the administrative duties that are part of managing
the fire department are supported through the officers of the Society.
CRITERIA - EXPECTATIONS – TRAINING REQUIREMENTS:
TVFD members meet twice a month (currently 1900-Hours (7:00pm) the 1st and 3rd Tuesday) for
training. These training nights are generally two hours in length. It is essential that you make at
least 50% of these training nights in order to be considered a current and active member. Please
phone or email the officers if you are unable to attend.
There will be times that training and events occur on a weekend or possibly multiple weekends.
These training opportunities are offered to help you meet the professional criteria and
requirements.
MINIMUM TRAINING REQUIREMENTS
• Incident Command System – 100 (ICS-100)
• Yukon Fire Fighter Basic (FFB) for Safe Response & Exposure Protection
§ Designated chapter's and chapter review questions from IFSTA's,
Essentials of Fire Fighting and Fire Department Operations
§ Six (6) Designated Job Performance Requirements (JPR)
§ A written final exam.
• Standard First Aid (CPR Level C & AED)
• Infectious Disease Control / Blood-borne Pathogens and Oxygen Therapy
• Wildfire Orientation
• Class 3 Driver License (if applicable)
• Air Brakes Endorsement (if applicable)
• Yukon Fire Service Electrical Safety
There are other requirements as well, such as, Yukon Fire Fighter Advanced and Yukon Fire
Fighter 1 but the above is what you will need to focus on to start.
You may feel that what is being asked and required of you is overwhelming. Don't worry! All
the training and requirements will not all happen at once. There are many different ways to meet
the requirements as in self-study and you will find that you will get some type of compensation
(honorarium and reimbursement) for almost everything that is being asked of you.
Honorarium –
You will receive an honorarium of $22.00 per training or training night. For those
courses that fall on weekends or during the day, you will receive $22.00 for the mornings
and $22.00 for the afternoons. For all Incidents/Emergencies (sometimes referred
to as call-outs) you will receive $22.00 an hour as long as you meet the criteria and
requirements for the type of Incident (i.e. a response in TVFD area, Mutual Aid, and
Wildland Urban Interface)
Reimbursement –
You will be reimbursed for any necessary requirements being asked of you; such as, the
First Aid and Driver's License requirements. There may be other times or courses you
can take and be reimbursed for.
ISSUED EQUIPMENT
You will be issued firefighting protective equipment called Personal Protective Equipment
(PPE). This PPE is sometimes referred to as "Turnout or Bunker Gear." Depending on your
firefighting experience we ask that you attend three (3) "Training Nights" and have the ICS -
100 completed before gear is issued. You will be issued a structural helmet, a protective hood, a
flashlight, structural jacket and pants, boots, and gloves. If you have the inclination to purchase
some items of your own, please talk to the Fire Chief to make sure you are purchasing compliant
gear. You will be responsible to check this gear monthly.
Upon completion of your Fire Fighter Basic Certification (again depending on your firefighting
experience) you will receive a pager and/or a radio, which will be issued to you by the Fire Chief
or their designate.
SUMMARY
TVFD members have a firm belief that family comes first (though you will soon see that TVFD
and the fire service will be another type of family), then work, then the fire service.
Once again we must stress that safety is paramount at all times, whether we (as fire fighters) are
training or attending an incident. Life Safety (and your Life Safety) is number one!
If you are still interested in becoming a Fire Department member, or have any questions please
don't hesitate to ask us for whatever information you require so that you can give serious
consideration to joining the Tagish Volunteer Fire Department1.