Current Host Sites

Farmington Fire Rescue, NH
Jessica Conner, Chris McDonald
Farmington Fire & Rescue is located in Strafford County in the great state of New Hampshire.. We operate out of one (1) firehouse and our members protect the residents and businesses located in Farmington. The Farmington Fire Department was established in 1855 and it is responsible for approximately 45 Sq. miles. There are 6000+ residents in the town of Farmington.

The Farmington Fire Rescue department is comprised of a group of dedicated members who take pride in providing protection of life and property to the citizens of Farmington and surrounding communities. AmeriCorps members Chris and Jessica help to provide coverage at the station during the day and on weekends to ensure a quick response time for fire and medical emergencies. They also help provide fire prevention and other safety awareness programs to the community and are responsible for implementing programs to attract and keep volunteers for the department. Chris and Jessica also run the Farmington Explorer post which gives teen-agers age 14-21 experience on the job and teaches the importance and need of volunteer fire and EMS services.

Milford Fire Department, NH
Ben Raymond
The mission of Milford Fire Department is to safeguard the citizens and visitors of our community by providing high quality fire suppression, technical rescue, fire prevention, and public education services. We shall make every effort to maintain a responsive and well trained firefighting force capable of handling structure fires, hazardous materials, technical rescue, extreme weather events and mitigating emergency situations presented to us. These efforts are combined with a proficient and proactive fire prevention program to include public education, code enforcement, and systems engineering.

Last year we responded to 1139 calls which was a 13% increase from previous years. We faced structure fires, brush fires, floods, car accidents, medical assists, and many other types of challenges through out the year. Participating in the ERC AmeriCorps program has been a benefit to our department.

AmeriCorps member, Ben Raymond, assists in inspecting all the trucks to make sure the station and equipment are prepared when they department responds to a call for assistance. He has also helped in organizing for the firefighters' entrance exam in Milford. With the help of training officer Captain Ken Flaherty the exam was successfully held in December 2007.

The first weekend in January brought on a new challenge our town had never faced before. Our local sports dome hosted the largest political event in New Hampshire's History. Attendees include The Clintons, Senator Obama, Howard Dean, Rep. Dennis Kucinich, and Gov. Lynch to name a few. Ben assisted Captain Smedick in planning for the event and was able to participate in crowd management training in order to prepare for the event.

New Gloucester Fire Rescue, ME
James Murray
Since 1928 New Gloucester Fire Department has served the community of New Gloucester, Maine. In the mid 1970's we became New Gloucester Fire Rescue Department. Our mission statement reads as follows: Provide protection and safety to our citizens and visitors by preparing and promoting fire prevention and education, through fire suppression, emergency medical services, regional aid plans, and hazard mitigation, while recognizing our volunteers as the key to success. Every year we average approximately 500 calls, with just over 40 volunteers. With the 80 years since New Gloucester Fire & Rescues establishment I believe our level of commitment to the town will grow stronger and stronger as every year goes by.

As part of New Gloucester Fire Rescue and a member of AmeriCorps, Firefighter James Murray gets to experience the daily activities and responsibilities of an active firefighter, while also recruiting volunteers and serving the community and his host site. James responds to emergency medical calls, car accidents and other fire related emergencies, and makes sure that the equipment the department relies on works properly. James also works to create a customized volunteer recruitment and retention plan for New Gloucester Fire Rescue. One of his current projects is the New Gloucester Fire Explorer program. Exploring is a program that is offered by the Boy Scouts of America under the learning for life program. It is a program for youths ages 14-21 that are interested in becoming firefighter or EMTs or other public safety careers. James also conducts public safety education in the community.

Sanbornton Fire Department, NH
Stephanie
The town of Sanbornton is approximately 49.7 square miles. It is the home of approximately 3,000 residents. The Sanbornton Fire Department consists of 20 members, the majority of whom are cross trained with both Medical and Fire Certifications. The Fire Department currently has a full time Chief and has in the last year added a position for one full time day shift FF/EMT. Even with the progression of the fire department, often the community is uninformed when it comes to their Fire Department's function and their need for more support. The hope of having an ERC Americorps member is to help better educate the public in regards to the Department, its need for volunteers, and its meaning and value to the community. Stephanie will also be helping to recruit and retain more members for this department, whose volunteer numbers have dropped substantially in the past few years. She is also a training CPR and First Aid instructor and will be teaching CPR and First Aid classes for the town's people and the town employees. She is working toward getting increased, positive recognition for the Fire Department as an integral part of the community. Stephanie is planning events that will allow the public to see the Fire Department and its members and will also be conducting public safety education with fire and injury prevention. She will teach prevention and safety courses at the schools in town to better educate students and to help with prevention.

Canandaigua Emergency Squad, NY
Joel Kather
Canandaigua Emergency Squad is a volunteer ambulance agency serving a 325 Sq. Mi. region in the Finger Lakes region of New York State. We have been serving our community since 1940. We are the busiest volunteer 911 service in Ontario County answering over 4000 calls annually. We have over 100 volunteers, and although not part of local health system we contract with FF Thompson Health for staff to assist at those times volunteers are not available. We serve a population base of approximately 20,000, of which 17,000 live in the 12 Sq. Mi. City of Canandaigua. The remaining 3000 live in the rural area of our district. In addition to the six ambulances and two supervisor vehicles we run, we also provide specialized service for large gatherings with our Bicycle Unit, and specialized transport for obese patients with our Bariatric Unit. Our community service also includes training in Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (CPR) and Automated Defibrillation (AED) use.