Fire Corps serves Sister community

The Sisters Fire Corps is a well-oiled community service machine. The Sisters Fire Corps was founded in 2004 and helps build capacity within a fire district by engaging volunteers to assist in non-emergency roles. These include first aid CPR/AED training, car seat programs, smoke alarm programs, address sign programs, and blood pressure clinics.

"The Fire Corps is a great way to get to know the community and for the community to see us and understand us as a fire district and what we have to offer to the community," said Beverly Halcon.

Halcon is the chair of the Sisters Fire Corps. She has been working and volunteering for the Sisters Fire Corps for eight-and-a-half years.

"When my husband and I first started volunteering with the Sisters Fire Corp, there were only six people," she said.

The Sisters Fire Corps has grown to 45 volunteers, and they are now the biggest Fire Corp in the state of Oregon.

Volunteers come from all different backgrounds, ranging from retired policemen to financial advisors. The roles of these volunteers include responding to non-emergency calls so the firefighters and EMT/Paramedics can focus on more pressing calls.

One of the many resources the Sisters Fire Corps provides includes staffing and maintaining an incident support unit (ISU). The ISU is a converted ambulance that goes to events, trainings, and to working structure and wildland incidents. The ambulance is equipped with spare SCBA tanks, food, water, coffee, extra clothing, and provides a safe and comfortable place for firefighters to recover. After the firefighters are done with their tasks on scene, they go through a decontamination process which ends with a change of clothing that is provided by the ISU.

Ernest (Ernie) Halcon and Marcel Luz have been working around the clock to bring the ISU into service and maintain it so it is always response-ready. Recently, on June 10, the ISU was activated late at night to support a Task Force Activation at the Central Oregon Seeds, Inc. located in Madras. The ISU drove out to provide a warm, dry place for firefighters to rest and recover with hot coffee and food.

The Fire Corps has not only provided a place of work for many, but a built-in family - a community of trusted people and individuals, giving every member a sense of family that maybe they have been needing or missing.

"I'm very proud to be the Sisters Fire Corps chair for the wonderful people of this community, who have given their time to the Fire Corps. As well as I hope that we continue to get more volunteers that want to participate," said Halcon.

People interested in getting involved in the Fire Core can start the process by filling out an application at the Sisters Fire Station. After this, there is a background check and interviews that follow.

For people looking to get CPR or AED certified, the first aid and CPR/AED programs have upcoming classes on July 20 and August 22. In this class, the focus will be on first aid basics, CPR and AED use in adults as well as children and infants. And a focus on injury and environmental emergencies. These classes are mainly instructor- and video-led.

For more information about programs or resources that you may need please go to http://www.sistersfire.com/fire-corps/.