Vashon’s fire department will close the window on a new round of volunteer applications next week, and district officials say they hope many islanders will step forward, willing to serve.

Like many fire departments that rely on volunteers, Vashon Island Fire & Rescue (VIFR) has struggled to maintain an adequate volunteer crew to assist with medical, fire and other emergencies. With June 30 as the application deadline, many at VIFR are encouraging islanders to bolster the department’s ranks and serve as emergency medical technicians (EMTs), as well as  firefighter/EMTs, firefighters and firefighter support members. Men and women, young and not so young, are encouraged to apply.

“A lot of people think you have to be a 20-something uber-fit male to qualify for the department, and that is not true,” said Brigitte Brown, 60, a longtime volunteer EMT.

Currently, about 40 people volunteer with VIFR, and only about half of those live on the island, said Assistant Chief George Brown, who would like to increase the number of volunteers, as well as the percent who live on-island.

At VIFR, nearly 80 percent of calls are for medical reasons, and there is a pressing need for additional EMTs. For years, VIFR officials have talked about the rising call volume and how it stretches the department’s resources. In 1995, George Brown said, the department received under 800 calls, and last year that number increased to more than 1,700 calls. Adding to the pressure is that frequently several calls come in at once.

“Our calls come in clusters. I cannot explain it,” he said.

Fire district commissioners have directed the department to be ready to respond to two and a half calls at a time, Brown said, and sometimes the department falls short of being able to do so. At any given time, VIFR has two paid EMT/firefighters and two paramedics on shift, with the ability to respond to one and a half calls — the half call being the ability to respond to a call but not to transport the person

off-island. Brown would like enough volunteers to fully staff another call, he said, which means that there would always be two volunteers on duty. Now that is happening only 68 percent of the time, he noted, even though it is not unusual for the department to field three calls at once.

“On that third call, I have nobody left,” he said, adding that they turn then to volunteers and off-duty staff. “What I have to have is depth.”

An additional benefit to local volunteers is that they may serve longer than off-island volunteers, who typically want a career in the field, Brown said, and leave after two or three years.

Volunteer Brigitte Brown has been an EMT for 30 years, but took a break to raise her children. She rejoined the department in 2011, she said, because of VIFR’s staffing needs.

“I don’t think this island realizes how thin we can get on calls,” she said.

She typically works one shift a week and responds to other calls when needed; she credits the work with keeping her sharp and in touch with fellow islanders.

“It is a wonderful way to use your brain and apply your skills,” she said.

Much about the work is enjoyable, she added, but she acknowledged a flip side, as well.

“It can break your heart,” she said. “But the neat thing is you did something. It is so rewarding when you have helped with something difficult in someone’s life or eased someone’s suffering.”

And, she said, many people can become a good EMT.

“Being an EMT is not rocket science,” she said. “The majority of people I have met from CERT could easily take it a step further and get certified as an EMT.”

Volunteer EMTs spend three months training off-island on Wednesday evenings and all day Saturdays, a program offered through King County and paid for by VIFR, said Ross Copland, the department’s recruit and retention coordinator. Students learn basic life support skills, such as how to deal with broken bones, use an automated external defibrillator (AED) and care for wounds. When beginning with the department, volunteers work for three months in the Red Shirt program, first riding along, then assisting and finally running calls on their own. Volunteers are required to work at least three 12-hour shifts a month or nine shifts a quarter and participate in continuing education, typically scheduled for Monday evenings.

While there is strong support for new volunteers, Copland added that not all people make it through.

“We have high expectations of what to do and how progress is supposed to be,” he said. “Whether paid or volunteer, the standards are the same.”

Putting in the time is essential to developing strong skills, Copland stressed, noting that he would prefer volunteers put in more time than the minimum shifts required.

“Every single call you go on is different, and you are always learning,” he said.

Both for training and team-building purposes, he said he would also prefer that on-island volunteers work their daytime shifts at the station.

Islanders with flexible schedules may choose to participate in VIFR’s resident program, which requires rotations of 24- or 48-hour shifts, Copland added, and provides a fixed monthly stipend.

Lieutenant Rick Brown is currently part of that program. A longtime volunteer with VIFR, he moved to that position in December. He has been an EMT for 16 years, he said, and even after all that time, this position has improved his skills because he sees considerably more patients.

“Repetition, seeing patients is the only way to keep your skills high,” he added.

With either volunteer path, the time commitment is a serious one. Volunteer Charlie Krimmert, an architect who works off-island, is a lieutenant with the department and serves as a firefighter/EMT. He likens his volunteer role to a second job and noted it can be taxing for families. Because of other volunteer commitments, he did not work many shifts recently, so this month, he is working seven to catch up.

Some volunteers, however, say they have been able to fit volunteering into their schedules more easily, including Ken Jackson, who has a family with two young children and runs an ad agency from his home. He attests to just how often his services are needed. In first two weeks of June, he responded four times because paid staff were on other calls. Last month, he said, it was a little more than that.

“For me, the biggest way I can impact my fellow islanders is to show up and assist,” he said.

He added that he does his shifts from the station.

“The people are awesome up there,” he said. “It is a great place to go spend some time.”

While EMTs are the most in demand, firefighters are also needed, Copland said, noting they respond to house, brush, car and power line fires, as well as to hillside rescues and vehicle extrications.

Like with EMTs, VIFR pays for firefighter training, sending volunteers for three months of weekend training in North Bend or Tacoma. The training is hot and intense, Copland said, but once part of the VIFR program, firefighter volunteers do not have to sign up for shifts, though they are expected to respond if called and are required to attend additional training throughout the year.

Without more volunteers, a large fire — or natural disaster — would tax the district, many say.

“At the best of times, we have six volunteers that can drive fire trucks,” Krimmert said. “In a massive landslide, six to 14 guys are not going to go very far very fast.”

Potential volunteers with limited time might choose to learn how to drive and operate the department’s water tenders and be responsible for bringing water to a fire and correct operations once the vehicles are there.

“It’s a really important position,” Copland said. “It is really the backbone of the fire scene operation.”

The program to become one of these support volunteers includes independent study and practical training with the department, he added.

VIFR is working on a strategic plan to carry the district forward, George Brown added, and it will soon be seeking community feedback to find out exactly what level of service residents want from the department. For now and the foreseeable future, though, volunteers will be vital to VIFR’s role and its ability to respond to the community’s needs.

“The whole premise of a fire department is insurance,” Krimmert said. “ You don’t need them until you really need them.”

The application deadline is Tuesday, June 30. For more information, see vifr.org and click the “Recruit” tab. Or contact Ross Copland at 707-4589 or rcopland@vifr.org.