I'm thinking about moving to Vegas after I retire. I've always had an interest in becoming a volunteer fireman. My questions are: Does Las Vegas have a volunteer fire department? If so, where is the closet one to the Strip? Do they have a program where they teach the fundamentals of fire fighting?
Yes, Clark County has a volunteer fire department. No experience is necessary; the FD provides all the training.
The Clark County Fire Department has 29 full-time fire stations maintained by 697 employees, of whom 61 are support staff. The department oversees nearly 200 volunteers, the state's largest. There are two fire stations either on or very close to the Strip: Station 11, 5150 Las Vegas Blvd S. just south of Russell, and Station 32, 2550 W. Harmon. But it doesn't look to us like volunteers work in the busy parts of town; according to the volunteer website, volunteers train and serve in the rural parts of the county at 13 outlying volunteer stations.
You first fill out and submit an online application and the Nevada Fire Chiefs Association will forward the information you provided to the fire department(s) in your area.
Firefighting isn't an easy job and volunteers' minimum requirements vary, but if you make the grade, you sign up for a minimum monthly commitment of around 24 hours of being on call or actively volunteering.
Another possibility is to go through the Las Vegas Fire & Rescue Citizens Fire Academy. A registered Fire Corps program since 2005, the Academy allows Las Vegas residents to learn more about the fire department and how it operates. Since its inception in 2000, more than 300 citizens have completed the program. Participants receive hands-on training, witness demonstrations, and accompany crews on calls to observe emergency-response activities.
