Types of Membership

Active members participate directly in fire and rescue operations, including incident response and operation of apparatus and equipment. Men and women, ages 16 or older, that are in good physical condition and have the desire to participate in this capacity are eligible for active membership. Applicants under the age of 18 require parental consent. Once minimum training requirements have been met, an individual may continue to increase his/her level of participation by obtaining additional training through county and state programs. Members must serve one year of probation before receiving full “active” membership status.

Approved applicants are voted into membership three times per year: In April, June, and October. They then begin a 6-week in-house orientation course on Saturday mornings, which 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.