Introduction

This document is provided as a public service by the Hamel Volunteer Fire Department and its purpose is to answer frequently asked questions regarding the Department and its operations. It is intended to serve as a guide to people interested in the Department as an emergency service provider and/or for those interested in the requirements to join as a volunteer firefighter. This document answers the following questions:

• What is the Hamel Volunteer Fire Department?
• Who does the Hamel Volunteer Fire Department Serve?
• What is the History of the Hamel Volunteer Fire Department?
• How is the Hamel Volunteer Fire Department Organized?
• What Does the Term 'Volunteer' Mean?
• You Mean There Are Not Always Firefighters at the Fire Station?
• How Are Firefighters Alerted to Fire Calls?
• What Are the Requirements for Joining the Hamel Volunteer Fire Department?
• Are Women Allowed to Join the Fire Department?
• What Are the Training Requirements for a Probationary Firefighter?
• How Many Calls Does the Department Respond to in a Given Year?
• Given All of the Above, What is the Time Commitment to Join the Hamel Volunteer Fire Department?
• How do I Find Out More About the Hamel Volunteer Fire Department?

Please enjoy the following information on the Hamel Volunteer Fire Department.

What is the Hamel Volunteer Fire Department?

The Hamel Volunteer Fire Department is a not for profit private corporation providing contract public safety services to the cities of Medina and Corcoran. Its mission is the protection and preservation of life and property for the people it serves. It is committed to doing so through the provision of quality cost effective services in the areas of fire suppression, emergency medicine, hazardous materials mitigation and other technological and natural disasters.

Who does the Hamel Volunteer Fire Department Serve?

The Hamel Volunteer Fire Department operates under contract with the cities of Medina and Corcoran serving portions of each. These areas are roughly show in the following figures:

Our Service Area in the City of Corcoran, MN.

Our Service Area in the City of Medina, MN.

What is the History of the Hamel Volunteer Fire Department?

The year was 1928. It all started when Hector Scott's house burnt down. The house, which was located at the site of the current Hamel Post office, went up in flames as area residents watched with a sense of helplessness. Although they managed to remove most of the Scott family furniture and possessions they were unable to do anything to extinguish the flames and the house was totally destroyed.

After the fire, a group of citizens decided to band together and form the Hamel Volunteer Fire Department. H. J. Dorweiler, who ran the Farmers State Bank of Hamel, was elected Fire Chief and C. G. Hayes, who ran a garage and repair shop where the Fortin Hardware shop now stands, was elected as the Assistant Chief. Three of the charter members of the original Fire Department still live in Hamel- Paul Fortin, Dasen Dorweiler and C. O. Dorweiler.

The newly formed Fire Department launched an effort to procure equipment to fight any future fires. Through the efforts of Jake Adams and one of his brothers, a Minneapolis paint company contributed 50 three gallon pails to be used for fighting fire. Each of the firefighters was asked to buy a length of hose which was to be brought along to any fire. With the hoses connected to stirrup pumps set in tanks filled with water from the pails, the firefighters were equipped to extinguish fires. Area farmers, when they became aware of a fire, would bring water to the fire scene in their milk cans to refill the pails.

Eventually, the Department purchased a piece of mobile fire apparatus. This "vehicle" consisted of a four wheel trailer with a gasoline powered engine to run the water pump. The trailer was housed in the old American Legion Hall which was located where the current Legion Building now stands. When a call came in, the first firefighter to arrive at the Legion would hook the trailer to his car and head for the fire scene. A hand crank siren on the trailer alerted other motorists of the presence of the "fire truck".

Still later, the fledgling Department purchased a 1931 Model A truck and the firefighters, under the leadership of Paul Fortin, built up a real fire truck. The truck continued to be housed in the old Legion Hall until 1948 when the Farmers State Bank of Hamel built a new bank building. The old bank building was moved to a vacant lot across the street from the current Inn Kahoots bar and became the "new" fire station. The building still stands and is now part of the K. P. Olson Company.

With spacious new quarters, the Department purchased a 1948 Dodge pickup truck and again under the leadership of Paul Fortin, built up a fire truck on the Dodge chassis. Both trucks were housed in the bank building. Still later the Department purchased an old gasoline delivery truck and converted it into a tanker. The tanker was housed in Dave DesLauriers' personal garage.

With the pressures of increasing development, the Department purchased a 1959 Dodge fire truck which was custom built in North Branch, Minnesota. The 1931 truck was sold but 40 years later was repurchased by the Department and is currently being restored by the firefighters.

As more equipment was acquired, the Department outgrew the old bank building, and a new fire station was built in 1966. This building served the Department needs until 1986 when it became necessary to add on to the building to make room for more equipment.

At the present time, the Department has six pieces of fire apparatus housed in the fire station. There are two 1250 gallon pumpers, one grass rig, two tankers and an utility truck. The Department has upgraded all of their equipment and training to current Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) and National Fire Protection Administration (NFPA) standards. The Departments' building and equipment exceed $500,000 in value.

How is the Hamel Volunteer Fire Department Organized?

As mentioned previously, the Hamel Volunteer Fire Department is a private corporation operating under contract to the cities of Medina and Corcoran. As a corporation it is governed by an board of directors elected by the membership. The elected officers of the Department are Chief, Assistant Chief, Treasurer, Secretary and three Trustees. Officers are elected to staggered three year terms. In addition to the elected officers, the Chief has the power to appoint additional officers for the safe and effective operation of the Department. The following is a snapshot of the Department's current organization chart:

What Does the Term 'Volunteer' Mean?

The fire service in the United States has a rich tradition of volunteer fire departments (or companies) dating back to the days of Benjamin Franklin. These volunteer fire companies provided fire suppression services through the time and talent of the members of the community. As time progressed and some areas grew, the need for full-time (or career) firefighters developed. This occurred mainly in medium to large cities where the industry and tax base both required and could pay for a full-time staff. In other areas, volunteer departments continued to provide quality cost effective services to their community.

While there are very many variations of 'volunteer' departments, the most common in this area is the paid-on-call department. This is the system used at the Hamel Volunteer Fire Department today. Paid-on-call implies that the firefighters are on-call employees of the Department who are paid an hourly wage for certain activities. Presently, members receive minimum wage for all time spent responding to calls, performing equipment maintenance and attending training. In addition to the hourly pay, members are eligible for a modest retirement through the Department's Relief Association.

The Hamel Volunteer Fire Department continues the rich tradition of volunteerism through extensive involvement in the community assisting and supporting a wide variety of organizations and events.

You Mean There Are Not Always Firefighters at the Fire Station?

Correct. With the exception of meeting nights and other work details, there are not usually firefighters at the fire station. When the Department is alerted to a call the members of the Department must first respond to the fire station to pick up their firefighting gear and the fire trucks (apparatus).

How Are Firefighters Alerted to Fire Calls?

In the metro area we are very fortunate to have available the E911 service. E911 (enhanced 911) provides for the automatic routing of all 911 calls to the appropriate police, fire and ambulance dispatch service providers. For our area that service provider happens to be the Hennepin County Sheriffs Communications Division located in Golden Valley. When a 911 call is placed within our service area, it is automatically routed to the Hennepin County Sheriffs dispatch center showing the address of the call and what police, fire and ambulance agencies should be started. Then, through the use of a special voice paging system, the Hamel Volunteer Fire Department is alerted to the call. Upon receipt of a unique coded signal, all of the Departments' pagers are activated and the fire dispatcher is able to inform everyone of the location and type of incident. At this point all firefighters (with the exception of some officers who report directly to the incident scene) respond to the fire station to get their equipment and trucks.

What Are the Requirements for Joining the Hamel Volunteer Fire Department?

The requirements for application for probationary membership with the Department are fairly simple. These requirements are as follows:

• Completed application for employment.
• High school diploma (or equivalent).
• Minnesota class C drivers license (or CDL).
• Ability to respond to the fire station within accepted Department time standards.
• Ability to attend all required meetings, training and emergency calls within accepted Department standards.
• Ability to complete all required training within the probationary period.
• Willingness to submit to a security background check.

Once these requirements are met and a conditional offer of membership is made, an applicant will also be required to pass a Department administered physical exam and agility test. Upon successful completion of the physical exam and agility test and a satisfactory background check, the applicant will be accepted as a probationary firefighter.

Are Women Allowed to Join the Fire Department?

Any person satisfying the requirements for a probationary firefighter is allowed to apply for membership. The Hamel Volunteer Fire Department is an equal opportunity employer and does not discriminate with regards to sex, race, religion or any other protected class. The Department does, however, reserve the right to select firefighters based on their ability to satisfy the legitimate business needs of the Department. Included in these needs are the ability to respond in a timely manner to the station and/or during specific times of the day (e.g. during the business day of 8 am to 4 pm).

Currently there are no female members of the Department.

What Are the Training Requirements for a Probationary Firefighter?

All firefighters are required to complete the following training within their probationary period:

In addition to the above training, probationary members are required to attend a minimum number of regular Department training sessions (unless excused to attend other required training).

How Many Calls Does the Department Respond to in a Given Year?

In an 'average' year, the Hamel Volunteer Fire Department responds to approximately 120 emergency requests for service per year. For the year, 1995, these requests break down as follows:

1995 Fire Department Request for Service by City and Type

Given All of the Above, What is the Time Commitment to Join the Hamel Volunteer Fire Department?

There are several components which make up a member's time commitment to the Department. These components are as follows:

• Regularly schedule meetings including business, maintenance, training and officers.
• Required outside training.
• Call response.

Meetings are held every Monday night during the year with the exception of holidays. They typically run from 7:00pm to 10:00pm with some exceptions. The first Monday of each month is the officers' meeting. At this meeting the Department's Chief and other officers discuss on-going activities and prepare for the month's other meetings. Only officers are required to attend this meeting.

The second Monday of the month is the business meeting. At this meeting Department business is discussed including financial and operational issues along with other topics of interest to the general membership. If necessary, the membership will be required to vote on some issues which may be discussed. Typical issues which might require a vote include large expenditures of funds (purchases) and approval of policies and procedures. All members are encouraged to attend.

The third Monday of the month is the maintenance meeting. At this meeting maintenance of Department apparatus and equipment is performed. Maintaining fire equipment in a safe and operational condition is a time consuming activity and can also be expensive. To save on expenses the Department attempts to perform as much maintenance as possible by themselves. The Department is very fortunate to have a number of trained and qualified individuals who can help perform this maintenance. All members are encouraged to attend.

Finally, the fourth and fifth (if there is one) Mondays of the month are for training. At this meeting regularly scheduled training drills are conducted. Training drills are typically a combination of classroom and hands-on activities used to refresh old skills or introduce new ones. All members are required to attend training drills.

In addition to regularly scheduled meetings, members must complete any required outside training. This commitment is largest during the probationary period when a new member must complete their required initial training. Following the probationary period outside training is more discretionary and is controlled by the member's desire to learn new skills and advance within the Department.

Finally, the probationary member must attend a minimum number of calls to maintain active status within the Department. Current Department rules require a member to attend 25% of all calls. Typically a member is not available for calls twenty-four hours a day and the actual commitment becomes 50% of calls for a designated 12 hour availability period. While the minimum commitment is only 25% of all calls, it should be noted that many members- those that both live and work within the community- achieve attendance percentages far in excess of the minimum. Attendance percentages in excess of 75% are not uncommon.

Given all of the above, one can estimate the hourly commitment per week for both new (probationary) and experienced (probationary period completed) members. The numbers break-down as follows:

*Calls assumes 50% of 140 calls per year averaging 1.5 hours per call or about 1 and 1/3 calls per week. While 25% is the required minimum 50% is a desirable goal.

As can be seen from the above the average number of hours committed per week adds up to a significant investment in time and energy on the part of a member. While some may contribute less at times, everyone is encouraged to participate to the fullest extent their other responsibilities and commitments allow. The Department understands, however, that circumstances change and allowances and adjustments can be made to accommodate unique and special situations. Also remember that these are averages and there will be periods of time when the time commitment may be significantly larger or somewhat reduced.

How do I Find Out More About the Hamel Volunteer Fire Department?

Additional information and an application for membership can be obtained by contacting the Department at the following address:

Please include a short note describing the information desired and a phone number or address where one can be contacted.