Join Us: Apply to Become a Volunteer at KVFD

Men and women ages 18 and older who are in good physical condition and have the desire to serve as firefighters are eligible to become firefighters. Firefighters with KVFD have almost never ending opportunities for training and advancement. Whether your dream is to be Fire Chief or just simply a basic firefighter, we have a place for you. Your advancement is only limited by your level of participation.

Benefits Include:
Tuition Reimbursement Programs – for college level or continuing education courses thanks to a Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response (SAFER) Grant from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA).
Experience (Gain not only a tremendous amount of experience as a Firefighter / EMT being with a busy company in an urban setting, as well as personal experiences that will last you a lifetime.)
Free Uniforms
Free Training – Classes ranging from Emergency Medical Technician – Paramedic, Fire Officer Development, and Heavy Apparatus Driving Courses
Free Wireless Internet and Computer Access
Free Access to Fitness and Physical Training Equipment
Tax Break – $5,000 Maryland State Tax break after 3 years of membership
Retirement – Length of Service Awards Program

Men and women ages 16 and older who are in good physical condition and have the desire to serve are eligible to become EMTs in Maryland. EMTs with the KVFD have almost never ending opportunities for training and advancement. Whether your dream is to be a Paramedic or you are looking simply to be an EMT, we have a place for you. Your advancement is only limited by your level of participation.

Benefits Include:
Tuition Reimbursement Programs – for college level or continuing education courses thanks to a Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response (SAFER) Grant from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA).
Experience (Gain not only a tremendous amount of experience as a Firefighter / EMT being with a busy company in an urban setting, as well as personal experiences that will last you a lifetime.)
Free Uniforms
Free Training – Classes ranging from Emergency Medical Technician – Paramedic, Fire Officer Development, and Heavy Apparatus Driving Courses
Free Wireless Internet and Computer Access
Free Access to Fitness and Physical Training Equipment
Tax Break – $5,000 Maryland State Tax break after 3 years of membership
Retirement – Length of Service Awards Program

People who do not have the desire to participate in emergency operations, or those who cannot meet the physical condition requirements are encouraged to join as Auxiliary/Administrative members. Administrative members choose to volunteer with the KVFD by contributing their time in the areas like fund-raising, public relations and education, administration. Admin and Auxiliary Members take on the vital role of supporting fire ground operations by operating Canteen 5, which provides firefighters/EMTs with refreshments to prevent overexertion. Additionally members of the KVFD Auxiliary manage our loan closet which loans hospital and medical equipment to people in the Kensington area. These are vital functions that support the KVFD.If you have any special skills that could help with the objectives or help in the betterment of our organization please let us know.

Benefits Include:
Experience Personal experiences that will last you a lifetime.
Free Uniforms
Free Training – opportunity to attend all EMS and Fire Drills
Free Access to Fitness and Physical Training Equipment
Tax Break – $5,000 Maryland State Tax break after 3 years of membership
Retirement – Length of Service Awards Program

Kensington Volunteer Fire Department provides its members with the unique opportunity of having a free home in exchange for their service as a Volunteer Firefighter and/or Emergency Medical Technician. Located within a close proximity to multiple institutions of higher education, such as the University of Maryland at College Park, KVFD provides an excellent opportunity for those who wish to combine their college education with a thriving Volunteer Fire Department. Members live in the bunkroom and are provided with a bed and adequate storage for personal belongings. Students are provided with multiple desks, computers with internet access, and a quiet work area in the station’s computer room.

Benefits Include:
Free Room and Board
Tuition Reimbursement Programs
Experience (Gain not only a tremendous amount of experience as a Firefighter / EMT being with a busy company in an urban setting, as well as personal experiences that will last you a lifetime.)
Free Uniforms
Free Training – Classes ranging from Emergency Medical Technician – Paramedic, Fire Officer Development, and Heavy Apparatus Driving Courses
Free Wireless Internet and Computer Access
Free Access to Fitness and Physical Training Equipment
Free Bed Linens (Provided by the Company)
Tax Break – $5,000 Maryland State Tax break after 3 years of membership
Location – 4 miles from Washington, D.C., 37 miles from Baltimore, and 2 Miles from the Metro rail Red Line.
Retirement – Length of Service Awards Program

Requirements:
Submit request to the Live-in coordinator for approval to become a live-in member.
Perform a minimum of four stand-by shifts each week.
Perform assigned weekly house chores.
Live-ins MUST hold a full-time job, be enrolled in school Full Time, or a combination of the two.

For more information contact our Vice President of Human Resources, Dan Henning at recruiter@kvfd.org.

Click here to fill out your application for membership online or download a PDF of the Application for Membership to complete in Adobe or by hand. You may bring your application to KVFD Station 5 at Connecticut Avenue & Plyers Mill Road or email it as an attachment to: recruiter@kvfd.org.

If you’d like to mail-in your application, please use the following address: KVFD Human Resources Division P.O. Box 222 Kensington, MD 20895

After your application has been reviewed and your references verified, you will be contacted by phone or email to schedule an interview. Interviews generally run 30-45 minutes in length.

Next, if selected to continue your candidate position with the department, you will schedule a physical examination with the Montgomery County Medical Office. The physical is modeled after the NFPA 1001 (National Fire Protection Administration Medical Standard 1001) and will be performed at no cost to you.

In addition, all applicants will be required to submit an official criminal background check. Having a criminal record does not necessarily disqualify an otherwise qualified applicant from joining. However, failing to reveal that information on the official application will immediately terminate the application process.
After all of the above steps have been completed (generally about 90-120 days), you will be presented for membership at the monthly company meeting in either April, June, or October.

After being voted into membership, you will begin the six-week Kensington Basic Orientation Course on Saturday mornings, and then start EMT Class after that.

Approved applicants are voted into membership three times per year; April, June, and October. They then begin a 6-week in-house orientation course on Saturday mornings that includes learning how to take vital signs, learning apparatus inventory, and basic operations of the department.

Once that is complete, they will begin in the next available EMT (Emergency Medical Technician) class at the Montgomery County Public Safety Training Academy. This is an entry level training program certified by the State of Maryland. It is 165 class hours and all volunteers in Montgomery County – including firefighters – are required to complete this class.

Several classes are usually run simultaneously but on different schedules to accommodate students’ needs. They usually run 3 days a week for 4-5 months (2 weeknights and one weekend day).

While in EMT Class, probationary members will also be assigned to a weekly duty shift, and are required to attend all company meetings, which are held on the second Wednesday of every month.