Do You Have What It Takes? Want to become part of the action? Every year, fires and other emergencies take thousands of lives and destroy properties worth billions of dollars. Firefighters help protect the public against these dangers by rapidly responding to a variety of emergencies. They are frequently the first personnel at the scene of a traffic accident or medical emergency and may be called upon to put out a fire, treat injuries, or perform other vital functions. Because fighting fires can be dangerous and complex, it requires organization and teamwork. At every emergency scene, firefighters perform specific duties assigned by a superior officer. At fires, they connect hose lines to hydrants, operate a pump to send water to high pressure hoses, and position ladders to enable them to deliver water to the fire. They may also rescue victims and provide emergency medical attention as needed, ventilate smoke-filled areas, and attempt to salvage the contents of buildings. Their duties may change several times while the company is in action. Sometimes they remain at the site of a disaster for days at a time, rescuing trapped survivors and assisting with medical treatment. When an alarm sounds, firefighters respond rapidly, regardless of the weather or hour. Firefighters are considered by some to be America’s greatest heroes. A firefighter becomes a hero the moment he or she wakes up in the middle of the night to answer a neighbor's call for help. They protect our property and save lives every day. We receive many requests for information on becoming a volunteer. Some of our volunteers go on to utilize their training they receive at the department to acquire related jobs outside the department. Even though there are obvious dangers involved, our firefighters are well-trained to know how to respond to emergencies long before they perform the more dangerous tasks. Most calls are not necessarily life threatening, but simply require immediate response, quick thinking, and the ability to work as a team to take care of the job that is needed to be done. We respond not only to fires, but to car accidents, gas leak calls, CO2 alarms, power lines down, etc. The BVFD provides ongoing training to its volunteers to be sure they have extensive knowledge needed to respond to emergencies. All firefighters take a great deal of pride in serving their community, but volunteers argue they have a right to even more pride because they serve without monetary compensation. Our department ,in general, is made up of people who work in the community on a daily basis. However, we also will take on members from the immediate surrounding communities. The need for volunteers is always great, especially during the nine-to-five, five-day week. The camaraderie in the station is hard to match. Most firefighters would drop everything to help their fellow brothers and sisters in need; including their families. At Station #117, our motto is, "Families Come First", so the firefighters are constantly encouraged to remember family first, then their paid jobs, then the department.

Mission The Mission of the Bridgeville Volunteer Fire Department is to protect the community, including its members and their property, from fires, exposure to hazardous materials, and other incidents. Become a Member A member is a person who contributes personal service in pursuit of the Mission of the Bridgeville Volunteer Fire Department and who meets the criteria stated for obtaining and maintaining membership. To become a member, a person must meet both of the following criteria: Be at least 18 years of age (14-17 years are considered Junior Members; read below for more info) Reside or work within the Borough of Bridgeville or in its immediate surrounding communities Read below for more information. You can also contact our station directly at 412.221.1711 for more information, simply drop by for a visit, or email the chief, Bill Chilleo.

Volunteering to become a firefighter is a challenging, exciting and rewarding experience. It also offers several viable options which you can pursue as a volunteer or as a career later. You can become fully trained and state certified at no expense to you. There is no difference in certification between career and volunteer firefighter. Many of our volunteers have also branched out to explore such specialities as arson investigation, fire inspector, and fire official. The same goes for volunteer emergency medical services. Often, our volunteer firefighters move on to explore emergency medical services with specialities that can expand to include Emergency Medical Technicians (EMT). Volunteering allows us to give something back to our community. Today, there are so many demands on our time, and firefighting or emergency services require sepcialized training in addition to the presence of a warm body. There are probably tons of reasons not to volunteer. However, if you have a sense of civic pride, if you want to see immediate results of a job well done, and if you have the heart and spirit to make Bridgeville a better place, consider volunteering with the BVFD. You may find meaning previously lacking in your work and your life! Where does the leadership come from to organize and direct this unselfish effort? It comes from within the ranks. The Chief, who is elected by peers, has the total responsibility for the safety of lives and the preservation of property within jurisdiction. A complete line of officers are also elected to assist from within our volunteers. It’s likely that most people in our community do not know that volunteers are indeed providing their emergency fire services. We influence outcomes that directly affect people’s lives by responding at a moment’s notice, whether it’s day or night, to put that fire out, to rescue that person in harm’s way, or sometimes just to give the assurance that, in fact, nothing is wrong. Why is this special type of volunteerism so critical at this time? In the past ten years, the ranks of emergency services volunteers has declined throughout the country. While we are proud to say that we continue to have many volunteers, the BVFD is dedicated to continue to recruit new members which will in turn keep Bridgeville safe. WE ARE LOOKING A FEW GOOD MEN AND WOMEN!

Eat. Sleep. Rescue. Repeat.

Junior Program Our Junior Firefighter Program is currently run under the direction of Maurice Brown. Children, ages 14 through 17, can join the program, which is a safe stepping stone to begin their volunteer firefighter career with the department. Our Junior Program is very popular at the station. All senior members enjoy pitching in to help them learn everything they need to know about firefighting.(After all, they are our future heroes!) All juniors are required to complete essential fire training, so it is an entire learning process. Our juniors also help with ongoing station duties detrimental to the upkeep of the department. They perform many tasks which help free up senior members to tend to other responsibilities, and all the while they are learning, learning, learning! Junior members are not allowed to enter burning structures at all. In fact, you must be over 18 and have completed your essential firefighting classes before this can occur. We reassure concerned parents of this since this, of course, is a major concern with regards to their children. There are many duties needed to be assigned on a fire call and at the station that are safe and age appropriate. Juniors' school grades are monitored. If they fall below a certain grade point average, they are suspended from the department until this is brought back up again. School always comes first and we promote this fact heavily. We found that actually, many of our juniors become better students because of the trade off. Junior members also follow the same child labor law guidelines with regards to times they are allowed on a call. We also work closely with the parents, if they so desire, with problems. Because our juniors look up to our senior members, we make sure the most appropriate behavior is exampled. For more information on our Junior Firefighter Program, please contact us at the station!

Equal Opportunities for Men and Women

Obviously, times have changed since way back when it was believed that only men were considered "appropriate" to tend to fires and other emergencies. The BVFD believes that everyone should have the opportunity to become a member. Of course, whether you are male or female, you must still possess certain qualities to become a firefighter, and all applicants go through the same tests. Not everyone makes it! Sheer strength, for instance, is not the only trait needed to be a firefighter. While we need strength, we also need some people who are not afraid of heights, some people that can work in confined spaces, some people whose quick thinking skills can be an asset, some people who can fit into small areas, and some people who can comfort others when needed. And even these are only some of the traits one can possess to become a firefighter. It is rare that one person has ALL the skills and/or characteristics needed to help in an emergency. Each member, male or female, brings something different to the table. And we feel, as a group, together, we can accomplish anything!