Frequently Asked Questions about the
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This document is provided as a public service by the Apple Valley 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. This document answers the following questions:
 | What is the Apple Valley Fire Department? |
| Who does the Apple Valley Fire Department Serve? |
| How is the Apple Valley Fire Department Organized? |
| What Does the Term 'Volunteer' Mean? |
The Apple Valley
Fire Department is a not for profit city department providing public safety
services to the city of Apple Valley. 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(EMS), hazardous materials facilitation
and other technological and natural disasters.
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The Apple Valley Fire
Department operates as a city department and serves the citizens of
Apple Valley and those who
pass within its confines. We also provide mutual aid services to other Dakota
county cities ie; Rosemount, Lakeville, Eagan, Burnsville
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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 Apple Valley 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 a 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 Apple Valley 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.
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Correct. With the exception of meeting nights/days and other work details,
there are not usually firefighters at the fire stations. When the Department is
alerted to a call the members of the Department must first respond to the fire
stations to pick up their firefighting gear and the fire trucks (apparatus).
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In Dakota County 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 City of Apple Valley Police Dispatch Center. When a 911 call is placed within our service area, it is automatically routed to the dispatch center showing the address of the call. Then, through the use of a special voice paging system, the Apple Valley Fire Department is alerted to the call. Upon receipt of a unique coded signal, the Departments' stations 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.
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). |
| 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. |
| Willingness to submit to a security background check. |
| Achieve Firefighter I certification through AVFD sponsored training |
| Achieve First Responder Certification through AVFD sponsored training. |
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. Interested? Call
952-953-2600 for an application!!
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Any person satisfying the requirements for a probationary firefighter is
allowed to apply for membership. The
Apple Valley 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 needs of the Department.
Included in these needs are the ability to respond in a timely manner (within 4
minutes) to the station and/or during specific times of the day.
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All firefighters are required to complete the following training within their
probationary period:
| Firefighter 1 @ 80 hours |
| First Responder (EMS) @40 hours |
In an 'average' year, the Apple Valley Fire Department responds to between 800-1000 emergency requests for service per year. The requests range from medicals (EMS), car accidents with injuries, fires, and any other activity where life safety may be at risk. See our History page for more information
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| Regularly schedule meetings including business, maintenance, training and officers. |
| Outside training. |
| Call response. |
Drills are held every Monday nights, 7:00pm to 9:00pm(with some exceptions at times), and on Thursday mornings, 9:00am to 11:00am(with some exceptions at times), during the year with the exception of holidays.
The first Wednesday 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.
In addition to regularly scheduled meetings, members may participate in
outside training. Outside training is discretionary and is controlled by the
member's desire to learn new skills and advance within the Department.
Finally, firefighters must attend a minimum number of calls to maintain
active status within the Department. Current Department rules require a member
to attend 30% of all calls. Typically a member is not available for calls
twenty-four hours a day. While the minimum commitment is only 30% 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.
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 that 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 there will be periods of time when the time commitment may be
significantly larger or somewhat reduced.
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Questions about this site may be directed to
stew@applevalleyfire.org
