Resident volunteer firefighter program expands to Hydesville
The Fortuna Volunteer Fire Department will soon be expanding its resident volunteer firefighter program to include the Fortuna Fire District’s Co.4 station in Hydesville.
The program has been in place at the fire department’s main station on Fortuna Boulevard since July 2016. The construction of two residential rooms at the Hydesville fire station should be complete by the end of November.
Each participant in the program is required to work four 12-hour shifts each week, in exchange for living at the fire station. They must participate in the program for a minimum of six months and a maximum of 24 months. Resident volunteer firefighters become members of the Fortuna Volunteer Fire Department, are assigned to a fire company within the department and are expected to participate in training and community events.
Fortuna Volunteer Fire Department Chief Lon Winburn said the department’s resident firefighter program has been a success in attracting volunteer firefighters. “It’s a huge benefit to our department (and) it’s a win-win for the community and the resident,” he said.
For the resident volunteer, the benefit is having real-life experiences in a firehouse setting, responding to incidents, performing shift assignments, and interacting with other crew members.
To promote the program, Winburn said his department has reached out to both College of the Redwoods and Humboldt State University.
“Part of the program is offering scholarships to the resident,” he said, indicating that a scholarship of $1,000 per semester would be offered. “We are really trying to get the word out to those who might be interested in firefighting as a primary or secondary career.”
The cost of extending the project to the Hydesville fire station is being covered by a generous donation from the Fortuna Sunrise Rotary organization, which conducted an “All Fired Up” fundraiser in May of this year.
When the check was presented to Winburn in June of this year, Rotary president Simon Rios said, “The Fortuna Volunteer Fire Department has been a vital part of our community for well over 100 years. They are modernday heroes, not only work on the front line as first responders, but they are also a catalyst for bringing people together in our community.”