Upcoming Events
OVFA 2009 CONFERENCE
JUNE 24 - 27, 2009
JCFD#3 HOSTING
WHITE CITY, OR
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EMS Resources
Please view our Training / Events page for current EMS conferences and classes and our Grants page for funding.
Members
If you've made it this far you must be wondering why would you want to be a volunteer firefighter or Emergency Medical Technician (EMT) and "what can the Oregon Volunteer Firefighters Association (OVFA) do for me?"
A very interesting document to read is the report from the Volunteer Task Force posted on this web site that goes into great detail about this very subject. There is no simple answer. Many individuals use the volunteer avenue as a stepping-stone into a full time, paid job as a firefighter or paramedic. Others see joining a department as a way to meet new folks, and yet others see it as a way of giving back to their community. Then there is always the fact that you get to drive a BRT (Big Red Truck).
The overall satisfaction is enormous, and no other service can equal the feeling of helping one's neighbors and friends.
The main function of the OVFA is to support those who volunteer and also those departments who are desperately trying to recruit more firefighters and EMT's. We facilitate this support though many avenues.
- Our annual conference is known throughout the state not only as an excellent training program, but also a great venue to meet and network with other emergency service providers.
- We offer training delivered on a regional basis, training scholarships, and training & equipment grants.
- To our members, we also offer AD&D Insurance coverage in addition to any other policy they or their department may have.
- We also pursue Legislation for our membership and are continually working on ways to recruit and retain volunteer firefighters.
- We have national representation to the National Volunteer Fire Council (NVFC). We have two delegates who attend the Councils bi-annual meetings and are members of the NVFC executive board.
The State of Oregon has over 11,000 firefighters with 8200 of these being volunteers. We represent over half of these volunteer firefighter and EMTs and with your added support we will represent more and allow us to speak with a common voice on issues that affect all of us.
Our vision is after all,
"Representing Those Who Volunteer"
