Fire and EMS Runs

Hear a Fire Run Dispatched
You may hear our fire tones only
or click the fire pager to hear an actual run dispatched.
(Download time of about 1 minute, 28.8 modem)

<<<--FIRE PAGER, click it!

Who tells the volunteers that there's an emergency call?

   Once you dial 911, they dispatch fire departments in Jefferson County via a pager system. Each member of the fire department carries a pager (like the one above) which alerts them to emergency calls when they are not at the fire house. Firefighters then respond to their respective stations to roll fire equipment and the chief officers go directly to the scene.
    As a combination paid/volunteer department, Station One is staffed 24 hours a day seven days a week with a minimum crew of four personnel. Station Two is staffed with a three person crew from 8 AM to 8 PM seven days a week. However, we still can't do it without our volunteer members!
    Our living quarters allow volunteer members to spend the night with the paid members and respond on runs during the night directly from the firehouse. This improves our response time and increases our capabilities at emergency incidents. If you've ever wanted to experience the life of a firefighter, we can give you this opportunity.
    How do I find out about volunteering?

IFSAC

    Certification formally acknowledges that a firefighter in the Harrods Creek Fire Department meets the recognized job performance standards and education/training requirements as outlined and recommended by the National Fire Protection Association. This is a voluntary certification process in which the candidate is tested in cognitive written and practical skills assessment. The testing process is administered by the Kentucky Fire Commission which is accredited through the International Fire Service Accreditation Congress (IFSAC).
    Some of the benefits of certification are being recognized as a professional with specialized skills and a reputation for providing quality service. Certification provides firefighters with opportunities to evaluate and document their performance, and compare their skills to each competency and overall standard. Certification acknowledges a firefighter's commitment to ongoing training and life long learning while providing a concrete training path to follow.
     IFSAC offers multiple fire service certification levels, such as Firefighter 1 & 2, Fire Officer, Instructor, and Apparatus Operator just to name a few. The Harrods Creek Fire Department currently has 30 members who are certified at various levels of the certification process, and this number continues to grow. All new members who join the department will complete this certification process as part of their initial recruit training. You can find more information by visiting the International Fire Service Accreditation Congress.

	Harrods Creek Firefighters Can Also Choose To Become SRT's		Photo from the March 1997 Flood.
The Swiftwater Rescue Technician (SRT) program has multiple disciplines and improves our ability to serve the fire district which is bordered on the North by the Ohio River and includes several internal creeks and streams each with the potential to become hazardous. Currently Harrods Creek personnel are certified in three separate levels of competency (Level 2, Level 3, and Specialist). Level 2, a three day 24 hour course, is an operational level in which a rescuer is trained in shore based rescue operations. This includes rope system setups, throw bag training, and other methods of land based rescue. Currently HCFD has four personnel trained the operational level. Level 3, an intensive five day 40 hour course, is a technician level in which the rescuer is trained in water entry rescues. Currently HCFD has 23 personnel trained to the technician level. Finally, HCFD has eight personnel trained in specialty level disciplines within the SRT program. The SRT program proved its importance during the 1997 flood as our assistance was requested by other departments all over Jefferson County. The Harrods Creek Fire Department is also a member of the Jefferson County Water Rescue Team, which responded to Maryland in 2003 for Hurricane Isabell. All HCFD personnel that participate in the SRT program are certified through International Rescue Instructors Association.

		EMS Assistance Program : Another Way That We Serve The Community!
	First Response Advanced Life Support In partnership with Louisville Metro EMS (LMEMS) our District has developed a first response Advanced Life Support (ALS) program in which each of our stations has an engine company staffed with at least one Paramedic. These ALS engines respond to medical calls in our District and provide ALS care until EMS arrives and transports the patient to the hospital. Our Paramedics train with the LMEMS Paramedics and much of our continuing education is through LMEMS. All soft goods such as IV fluids, drugs and EKG equipment are provided by LMEMS, therefore there is no charge to our customers for medical response by our ALS engine company. This service is provided 24 hours a day from Station 1 and 8 AM to 8 PM seven days a week from Station 2.









	Harrods Creek Fire Department responds to over 1100 runs per year. Responses include everything from medical calls to structure fires. Below is some information about the runs we respond on and what we do to mitigate the variety of emergencies we see every day.