Weed City Volunteer Fire Department Services & Programs

FIRE SUPPRESSION: Emergency response is carried out from one staffed fire station located at 128 Roseburg Parkway, covering 4 square miles and protecting a population exceeding 3,200. An additional 15 square miles, with a population of 3,500, is included within the automatic aid contract within the County. During 2004 emergency resources responded to 463 calls for service. Response times averaged 4.96 minutes per call. A more detailed summary of emergency response statistics can be found below.

Weed Fire Department Annual 2005 Report

EMERGENCY MEDICAL RESPONSE: As with most fire departments, the Weed Fire Department responds to a high volume of medical calls. Approximately 75 percent of all calls for service are medical calls. The standard response is one Advanced Life Support Rescue Squad. All personnel are trained to Emergency Medical Technician 1A levels as a minimum. Additionally, several personnel are Paramedics and Emergency Medical Technician 2. All necessary advanced and basic life support equipment including heart defibrillators and “jaws of Life” is carried on this vehicle. The Department fills the need for Basic and Advanced Life support as the local ambulance company responds from the City of Weed.

HAZARDOUS MATERIALS RESPONSE: Although the Department does not maintain a hazardous materials response team, all personnel are trained to meet mandated requirements for the Hazardous Materials Operational Level. A small group of personnel have been trained to the higher levels of Hazardous Materials Technician and Specialist. Due to lengthy railway lines and State highways traversing the City, there is an ongoing potential for a hazardous materials transportation incident.

TRAINING: Training activities are scheduled on a monthly basis. The Department strives to deliver a wide range of training, which includes State, and Federally mandated topics, as well as discretionary subjects. All personnel are scheduled to participate in 9 hours of training each month scheduled on Monday evenings from 7:00 to 10:00 Pm. Additionally many volunteer fire fighters expand their knowledge base by attending both fire service related and advanced degree courses from the College of the Siskiyous. More Details...

MUTUAL/AUTOMATIC AID AGREEMENTS: The Department participates in the Statewide Mutual Aid System and responds one fire engine anywhere in the State as needed. The department has made a strong commitment to Automatic aid on the local level. The Department maintains the following written automatic aid agreements: California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection and Siskiyou County Fire Warden, Hammond Ranch Hose Company, Mt. Shasta Fire Department and Lake Shastina Fire Department.

The Automatic Aid agreement is equally beneficial to all agencies where each department responds automatically on a year round basis to emergencies within each other’s jurisdiction. This pooling of resources helps each agency combat emergencies of any size or duration. It also insures that the closes emergency resource responds regardless of jurisdiction.

COLLEGE OF THE SISKIYOUS FIRE TECHNOLOGY PROGRAM: Through a working relationship with College of the Siskiyous, the Department provides administrative coordination to the Fire Technology Program. The Department also provides opportunities for students participating in the Fire Technology Program to experience the fire service first hand. These students, through the College work experience program, are allowed to actually work and live in the fire station in a fire fighter capacity.

The College of the Siskiyous offers a degree program in Fire/Emergency Response Technology for students interested in the fire service as a career. This training program is conducted at a classroom facility housed within the Fire Station. The students are also allowed to ride-along on apparatus during their non-classroom time. More Details...