AMANDA BOHMAN, Staff Writer
Wednesday, November 16, 2005 - Six area fire departments are turning to moviegoers to boost their volunteer ranks.
A 30-second advertisement for volunteers will appear before each film shown at Regal Cinemas starting Friday. Firefighters will recruit in person on Saturdays.
The campaign is in response to dwindling volunteer pools, officials said. They are hoping to capitalize on increased movie ticket sales during the holidays.
"We're trying to get to that captive audience," said Jeff Tucker, chief at the North Star Volunteer Fire Department.
The movie theater ad, which runs through Dec. 15, features 20 to 30 shots of firefighters completing typical tasks, such as spraying water on a fire or using the Jaws of Life to extricate someone from a vehicle. The shots were filmed locally and star mainly volunteer firefighters, Tucker said.
Nationwide, the number of volunteer firefighters is down, causing a crisis in some communities, where calls for help go unanswered, Tucker said.
About 200 people volunteer in the Fairbanks North Star Borough's fire service.
"The number fluctuates quite a bit," said Barry Jennings, municipal emergency operations manager. "We're in one of those down stages right now. We're trying to do something before we get into a crisis."
Officials hope the upcoming recruitment effort nets 50 to 100 more Fairbanks area volunteers.
Joining North Star in the campaign are the Steese Area Volunteer Fire Department, the North Pole Fire Department, Chena-Goldstream Fire and Rescue, the Ester Volunteer Fire Department and Salcha Rescue.
"Instead of each of us trying to do it on our own, which we do normally," Tucker said, "it's a way of combining our resources and joining in a boroughwide effort."
Recruiters also developed a Web site at www.fnsbvolunteerfirefighter.org.
Candidates for the municipal fire service must be 18 and have to pass a criminal background check and physical fitness test, officials said. The fire departments provide gear and training. The time commitment depends on volunteers' availability.
"It can be a couple hours a week or a 24-hour shift," Tucker said.
All volunteer firefighters must learn basic firefighting and emergency medical skills. Advanced training can include hazardous materials cleanup or swift-water rescue.
Tucker said volunteers typically fall into two categories, civic-minded people with time to spare and people looking for a jump-start on a fire service career. Many departments offer staff positions to their volunteers as the positions open.
"We typically hire people who are local and they typically come from our volunteer ranks," Tucker said.
Tristan Denoncour, 19, falls into the career category. He joined the volunteer pool at Palmer Fire Department on a lark while still in high school, liked it and decided to make it his calling.
Denoncour now studies fire science at the University of Alaska Fairbanks and volunteers at North Star, where he also lives.
"It was purely something where I could help the community and just try something new," he said. "But I found something that I like to do and I'd like to keep doing it."
Denoncour has learned basic firefighting and emergency medical skills so far, he said.
"I'm learning how to drive the fire trucks now," he said. "It's a very clear advantage, being in a department. You learn a lot with the hands-on that you don't necessarily see in the classroom."
Reporter Amanda Bohman can be reached at abohman@newsminer.com or 459-7544.
