ROCK SPRINGS – A new adventure everyday while giving back to the  community. Sweetwater County Fire District No. 1 is looking for volunteer recruits who are ready for the challenge.

For the month of December, the district will be signing those interested in jumping on board to their academy which starts in January here in Rock Springs. District Fire Chief Jim Wamsley said they will welcome anyone interested in the academy but try to limit the class to 20 people. He said if they have more than 20 recruits they will determine a cutoff point.

For information and to sign up for the January academy, call the district at 362-9390.

The district is made up of 36 members with 32 firefighter volunteers. There are approximately 783,000 volunteer firefighters nationwide with 69 percent of departments being made up of volunteer forces.

“Why be a volunteer firefighter?” Wamsley asked. “I say why not?”

When talking about volunteers and volunteerism, Wamsley said one of the biggest misconceptions is that firefighters are adrenaline junkies. He explained so much more goes into it. With Fire District No. 1, they not only respond to structure fires but wildland fires, medical calls, car accidents on Interstate 80, as well as rescues which can include high rope rescues.

Assistant Fire Chief Scott Kitchner said the job keeps you guessing.

“You never really know what is coming from day to day,” Kitchner explained. “It’s cool because no two calls are ever the same.”

Wamsley stressed many do it to give back to the community and to protect family members, neighbors and friends they love and respect. He added some recruits use the district to move up to paid fire departments and learn skills that will put them ahead of many other applicants to those other departments.

Not only does the district train for and handle all the emergencies listed above, but also trains for many other scenarios. Wamsley said many times when they arrive on a scene, they help provide traffic control for the first responders. There is also Hazmat training.

Wamsley explained they have handled many semi accidents and it is important to know what cargo is being carried and how they can handle it. Everything from hay fires on a semi to electronics and animals have been handled by the District during accident responses.

They respond to carbon monoxide incidents and undergo emergency medical service training every other year. The fire station is also transformed several times a month to teach kids about fire safety and provides other tools to keep the young population educated and safe.

Kitchner said in many ways they are exactly like the Rock Springs Fire Department in the calls they respond to, except the district is also very involved in working with the Bureau of Land Management and Sweetwater County Fire Department on wildland fire fighting and protection. Kitchner added many accidents they respond to are high impact accidents at interstate speeds. He said all of this requires a unique skill set that the department trains in.

While the academy provides hands on training and book training, a third party helps in the evaluation. Recruits will need to pass both a skills test and a written test before they are certified and nationally accredited.

Training doesn’t stop with the academy. Wamsley said they like to keep on top of the latest trends and rescue techniques nationwide. The district does training every Wednesday night and utilizes fire schools in the state and neighboring states.

There are many other benefits to being a part of Sweetwater County Fire District No. 1. Wamsley said many of the firefighters are employed in other fields during the day. He said the district teaches leadership skills and also many aspects of human resources. Wamsley added the training teaches volunteers to think on their feet and make the best decisions.

Safety is another big aspect to the department. The station has exercise equipment to help keep members physically fit and prepared. The department is very family oriented.

“We are all about family,” Wamsley said. “We welcome and provide family activities here at the station but also emphasize a balance between work and family to the crew.”

In the end, it is an adventure and a difference maker.

“I started this (job) because I wanted to make a difference,” Wamsley said. “This job has given me a lot and I have gained invaluable experience. I would like to think this has enabled me to make a difference.”