BECOMING A MEMBER
Why Volunteer with the Fire/Rescue Service?
•    Have you ever heard a siren or seen a fire engine – and wondered what was happening and wished you could help? You can.
•    Have you ever witnessed or come upon a motor vehicle accident – and wished you were trained and could help save lives? You can.
•    Have you been there when someone was stricken with sudden illness – and wanted to assist? You can.
•    Are you looking for new lifelong friendships, challenges, and rewards? They are waiting.
•    Do you want to become involved in your community? This is your opportunity.
Selflessness, safety, being a team player, integrity, honesty, courage, compassion, commitment, and competence are all the traits of a dedicated volunteer member of Little Mountain Fire & Rescue service. The benefits personally, professionally and the impact on the community are immeasurable.

 

Reasons to Volunteer
The fire and rescue service is one of the most diverse and challenging vocations today. It is this diversity that attracts most men and women to join our ranks.

Different people volunteer for different reasons. Action oriented people enjoy the excitement and adrenaline rush that emergency services has to offer. Some see the volunteer fire service as an alternative to ‘driving a desk by day’ – by allowing them to ‘drive a fire truck or ambulance at night!’
Many like the feeling they get when they help people in their time of need, and some feel it’s their obligation to serve the community. Yet others just want to belong to the team. Whatever motivates you to volunteer – everyone gains the self-satisfaction of being at their best when others are dealing with what is often the worst that life has to offer.

Imagine having to prepare yourself to cope with situations that range from structure fires to childbirth to hazardous chemical spills to heart attacks to almost any imaginable emergency in between. This diversity is coupled with the fact that these skills may be needed at any time of the day or night, seven days a week, in any kind of weather, and very often under potentially stressful and emotional circumstances. Yet these same factors contribute to our profession being so personally rewarding.

We realize that firefighting & EMS/Rescue is not for everyone, but we believe that volunteering can be. There is plenty of work to be done on or behind the scenes, too.

The personal rewards and satisfaction received from what we do is often beyond description. There is the sense of accomplishment when you control a building fire, joy and elation when a child is born, compassion for accident victims, and fulfillment from teaching fire safety.
The bottom line in our business is measured by the loss of life, pain and suffering, and the property damage we have prevented and reduced.
Volunteering in emergency services is one of the most important decisions you may make. We hope that you give this decision the time and serious consideration it deserves and decide to join our ranks.

Benefits to Volunteer in the State of South Carolina
Being a volunteer with a South Carolina Volunteer fire and rescue department brings with it many benefits including a $3,000 state income tax deduction, health, life and disability insurance, LOSAP (Length of Service Award Program), education discounts, housing discounts, various merchandise and service discounts, and specialty license plate. But the real benefit? Having an amazing, unmatched positive impact on your community and making a difference every day.

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FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Do I Need Prior Training or Experience?
Absolutely not. All training required to become a volunteer Firefighter, Firefighter/EMT or EMT is provided through various county and state programs. There are dozens of courses including hazardous materials, specialized rescue and beyond. 

 

How Much Time Will I need to Spend as Volunteer?
Becoming a volunteer is a serious commitment — but we ensure it’s as flexible as possible to fit in with and work around your day-to-day life.
For those looking to be Firefighters and/or EMTs, this includes training that is conveniently scheduled on nights and weekends at locations throughout your region of the state, flexible duty shift schedules and more. 

Administrative and Support volunteer opportunities may be best if you are looking to volunteer but not ride fire trucks — which also eliminates the required emergency operations training courses. Schedules for these opportunities are typically even more flexible than those for volunteers in operational fire and rescue roles.

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How to Volunteer and join Little Mountain Fire & Rescue?
Becoming a member of Little Mountain Fire, Little Mountain Rescue or both is familiarly simple.  Basic requirements include you must be 18 years of age, have a high school diploma or GED (unless currently in school), and pass a required SLED background check. You can find the Newberry County Emergency Services Application for Membership below. Please print the application off and bring it to our regular business meeting on the first Wednesday of every month at 6:30 PM. If you just want to join the fire department and have questions, please email us at littlemountainfire@gmail.com. If you want to join the rescue squad and have questions, please email us at littlemountainrescue@gmail.com.