Lieutenant Matthew Clark, IAFF3138 President.
Q) When I have a medical emergency, why does the ambulance AND the firetruck come to my house?
A) Simply put, the ONLY difference between the fire department and the ambulance is that the fire truck does not have the ability to transport you to the hospital. This is the case for all municipal (city) fire departments in our county. We rely on Brevard County Fire Rescue's (BCFR) ambulances for transport services. Therefore, when you call 9-11 for a medical emergency, a fire engine from the City of Rockledge AND an ambulance from BCFR will be dispatched to you. But the level of care that you will receive in an emergency is the same, no matter who gets to you first. The Rockledge Fire Department is an ALS (advanced life support) provider. This means that even though we do not have ambulances, we can still provide the exact same level of potentially life saving care. In fact, we have a much shorter response time anywhere in the city than the closest BCFR ambulance.
Q) Why do I always see the fire truck at the grocery store or at restaurants? Do they have to bring that big truck to the grocery store?
A) Yes. your firefighters go to work, and do not leave for a full 24 hours. This means that at some point during their 24 hour shift, they will need to go to a local store or restaurant to buy their meals. Because a fire company needs to be ready to respond to an emergency at any moment, they must stay together. Therefore they must bring their truck with all of the equipment, and all of the personnel everywhere they go. The firefighters make every effort to limit unnecessary trips and to get everything that they will need in a single trip to the grocery store. Whenever possible, they will incorporate their store run into the outings required for emergency calls or training.
Q) I have read about firefighters and police receiving outrageous retirement benefits which causes an extreme burden to the tax payers. Are Rockledge Firefighter's pensions overly generous and /or a financial strain on our city?
A) Absolutely not. The pension that is afforded to the firefighters by the City of Rockledge is fair, and the members are thankful for it. However it includes only the minimum benefits which are required by state law. When compared to other municipalities throughout Brevard County, and throughout the state, you will find that your city's public pensions are quite conservative and well funded. Beneficiaries of the firefighter's pension do not receive any raises after retirement, and they do not receive healthcare as part of their benefit package. In addition, while many other municipal fire departments only require that an employee completes a certain number of years in order to receive their full pension, The City of Rockledge requires that a firefighter must also reach the age of 52, regardless of their time in service. By not providing many of these expensive benefits, the City of Rockledge continues to maintain a state of financial stability with regard to public pension plans.
Q) Will I be charged money / receive a bill if I call 911?
A) You will not receive a bill or be charged for any service that the Rockledge Fire Department provides. It doesn't matter what you call us for. We respond to medical problems, injuries, fires, car accidents, or any number of other problems completely free of charge. The only time you will be charged for an emergency is when you are transported to a hospital.
Q) I live less than a mile from the fire station. Why did it take so long for them to get here when I called 911?
A) We sometimes are not in our stations, and may respond to your emergency from another area of the city. As mentioned previously, the fire company must stay together. The fire company at your local station - at any given time - might occasionally be out of their station for any number of reasons. We may be returning from an emergency call, at another location for training, or attending a public function. This means that our response time to your location may be slightly longer than if we were responding from our station. Despite this occasional delay, our response times still average approximately four minutes, and are usually shorter than the ambulance.
Q) How can I make a donation to my fire department?
A) Fire departments typically do not accept random donations from citizens. Your tax dollars and the city's budgets fund the daily operations of the department. The firefighter's union, however, will occasionally raise funds for various charities. Examples include annual boot drives for MDA, and breast cancer awareness T-shirts. The firefighter's union also offers shirts for sale to the public bearing the Rockledge Professional Firefighter's logo to encourage public support of our organization. For more information on purchasing shirts, click on this link: purchase local 3138 gear
Q) If I am in a very minor car accident and I am absolutely sure that nobody is hurt, should I still call 911?
A) If you have any question whatsoever about an involved person's medical condition, or if any involved person is complaining of pain or injury, or if you have any concerns about chemicals, fire or other imminent hazards, do not hesitate to activate the 911 system. However, If you are involved in a minor "fender bender" accident, and you are absolutely certain that none of these conditions are present, we recommend that instead of calling 911 you make a non-emergency call to the local police department. Officers will respond to the incident and if any assistance is needed from fire/rescue, the officer will request it. This ensures that the closest fire company remains available for another emergency. The non-emergency number for the Rockledge Police Department is 321-690-3988.
Q) How does a person start a career as a full time, paid firefighter?
A) There is no clear definitive answer to this question. The path towards becoming employed as a full time paid firefighter varies depending on where you live and where you plan to become employed, among other things. There are however a few basic requirements that are universal. A person must complete a state approved fire standards training program, which is available at most community and vocational colleges and consists of between 450 - 600 hours of classroom and physical training. A person must also complete medical training at some level, whether it is basic CPR and first aid, or a full paramedic program. This could be anywhere from 16 hours to approximately one year of training, respectively. We recommend that anyone interested in this career path contact a counselor at their local community college for guidance.
