Morristown Fire Bureau Volunteer Fire Fighter Recruit Orientation Guide

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This document serves as an orientation guide for individuals interested in becoming volunteer firefighters with the Morristown Fire Bureau. It details the demanding nature of the job, the commitment required for training and emergency response, and the personal rewards associated with community service. The guide covers the organizational structure of the Fire Bureau, essential job tasks, and the historical context of fire service in Morristown. Prospective volunteers must be at least 18 years old, legal US residents, and live within a five-mile radius of the Municipal Building. Key requirements include a valid driver's license, a clean criminal record, physical fitness, and proficiency in English. The recruitment process involves an application submission, an interview by a recruitment committee, background checks, a medical evaluation, and final approval by the Morristown Town Council. The Morristown Fire Bureau emphasizes rigorous training, including Firefighter I and Hazardous Materials First Responder-Awareness Level certifications, typically provided at the Morris County Fire Academy. Ongoing commitment involves attending regular training sessions, responding to emergencies, and participating in company meetings. Applications are reviewed on an as-needed basis, indicating an ongoing recruitment effort.

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--- Document: Morristown Fire Bureau Volunteer Fire Fighter Recruit Orientation Guide Document ---
MORRISTOWN FIRE BUREAU 
VOLUNTEER FIREFIGHTER RECRUIT ORIENTATION GUIDE
February 11, 2021 
IF YOU…
Want to help others and serve your community 
Enjoy working as a team
Enjoy continuous learning
You may be an ideal candidate to become a Volunteer Fireﬁghter


INTRODUCTION
This handbook has been developed as a resource for those men and women 
who  have  indicated  an  interest  in  becoming  volunteer  members  of  the 
Morristown Fire Bureau. Participation as a volunteer member in the ﬁre service 
will  bring  personal  rewards,  satisfaction;  raise  self-esteem  and  give  you  a 
tremendous sense of accomplishment for a job well done. Your involvement will 
also provide a valuable service that has the potential to touch everyone in our 
community.
Service as a member in our department is a serious commitment. Your decision 
to  join  should  not  be  made  quickly.  This  handbook  has  been  designed  to 
provide you with the information needed to help you make that decision.
Making the commitment to serve as a volunteer with our department is a 
serious decision. We ask that you take the time to read this booklet and ask 
questions to understand what is involved in being a member of the Morristown 
Fire Bureau.
This booklet contains information regarding the organization of the Morristown 
Fire Bureau, training, participation requirements, the nature of the job, and 
answers  to  typical  questions  about  membership.  It  will  provide  you  with 
information about the most important areas.
Once you have a good understanding of what is involved in being a member of 
the Morristown Fire Bureau, we hope you will ﬁnd that you are able to make 
the commitment that our community requires. The service provided by our 
volunteers is truly valuable to the citizens and visitors of our town and we hope 
that you are able to contribute to our public safety.
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MISSION AND VISION OF THE 
MORRISTOWN FIRE BUREAU
VOLUNTEER DIVISION
To mitigate the threat to life and property from ﬁre and other emergencies through 
education, prevention, community preparedness and emergency response programs. 
To be recognized for consistently providing quality services in an efﬁcient manner, 
being respectful to each other and all citizens and provide leadership, regardless of 
rank or position.
NATURE OF THE JOB
Fireﬁghting is one of the most diverse and challenging professions known today. It is 
this diversity that inspires most men and women to enter the service as volunteers. 
Imagine having to train to prepare yourself to cope with situations which include ﬁres 
ranging from dumpsters to homes and commercial structures to acts of terrorism, 
hazardous chemical spills, natural disasters, to medical emergencies and remote area 
technical rescues and almost any imaginable emergency situation in-between. This 
diversity coupled with the fact that your skills may be needed at any time of day, 
seven days a week, in any kind of weather, and very often under potentially stressful 
and  emotional  circumstances  makes  our  contribution  to  the  community  very 
personally rewarding.
The  ﬁrst  purpose  of  public  ﬁre  service  is  to  prevent  ﬁre  or  emergencies  from 
occurring.  Our  department  handles  this  through  ﬁre  prevention  inspections,  ﬁre 
safety  education,  and  ﬁre  code  enforcement  programs.  Secondly,  we  are  here  to 
prepare ourselves to control ﬁre or emergencies should prevention not work. Our 
department handles this through education, training, pre-incident planning, state of 
the art equipment and more training.
This type of work or job is not for everyone. You need more than just a desire to help 
people. You also need courage, dedication, assertiveness and a willingness to learn 
new skills and face new challenges.
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Membership in the Morristown Fire Bureau is not for the meek, timid or for those 
who lose control of their emotions during times of crisis. Our service is one which 
calls  on  its  members  to  perform  strenuous  work  in  uncertain  and  hazardous 
environments as a highly efﬁcient team.  The Morristown Fire Bureau is known to be 
one of the most aggressive ﬁre departments in New Jersey when it comes to going 
into a burning structure and extinguishing ﬁre.
Your family must support your decision. They must understand and accept your 
commitment to training and responding to emergencies which will often interrupt 
family  functions  and  holidays.  Your  employer  should  also  be  accepting  of  your 
commitment as a volunteer with our department. Factors which you should discuss 
with your employer may include, but not limited to:
• Fatigue from emergency responses outside of work hours
• Emergency responses or training that will occur from time to time during your 
regular work hours
The  personal  rewards  and  satisfaction  received  from  being  involved  with  our 
department are often beyond description. There is a sense of accomplishment after 
controlling a building ﬁre, compassion for victims and patients, and fulﬁllment in 
teaching safety. This list could go on and on.
The bottom line, our job, is measured by the prevention and reduction of loss of life, 
pain and suffering and property damage that we have in our response area. We strive 
to maintain a professional image while providing a safe, reliable and cost effective 
service to the residents of our community.
If you feel you have what it takes to meet the challenges of the job, we welcome you to 
apply to join us.
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OVERVIEW OF MORRISTOWN
Morristown is the county seat of Morris County, New Jersey.  The ﬁrst permanent 
European settlement at Morristown occurred in 1715, when a settlement was founded 
as New Hanover by migrants from New York and Connecticut. Morris County was 
created on March 15, 1739, from portions of Hunterdon County. The county, and 
ultimately Morristown itself, was named for the popular Governor of the Province, 
Lewis  Morris,  who  championed  beneﬁts  for  the  colonists.   Morristown  was 
incorporated as a town on April 6, 1865, within Morris Township, and it was formally 
set off from the Township in 1895. Morristown has a total area of approximately 
3.0 square miles, including approximately 2.9 square miles of land and 0.1 square 
miles of water.  Morristown is completely surrounded by Morris Township.  The 
downtown shopping and business district of Morristown is centered around the 
Morristown Green.  As of the 2010 United States Census, the town's population was 
18,411 and is growing with new development occurring on a yearly basis.  There are 
approximately 9,000 housing units in town.
Morristown is governed under a Mayor-Council system of New Jersey municipal 
government.  The  Mayor  of  Morristown  is  Timothy  Dougherty.   The  Business 
Administrator is Jillian Barrick.  The Public Safety Director is Michael Corcoran, Jr. 
The Morristown Town Council consisting of seven members is the legislative arm of 
the government, and is responsible for making and setting policy for the town. 
Members  of  the  Morristown  Town  Council  are  Toshiba  Foster  (At  Large), 
Robert Iannaccone (Ward I), Tawanna Cotten (Ward II), Stefan Armington (Ward III), 
Sandi Mayer (Ward IV), Michael Elms (At Large), and David Silva (At Large). 
Morristown is home to the Morris County Courthouse, Morristown Medical Center, 
Morristown Train Station, Headquarters Plaza, Hyatt Hotel, Best Western, and many 
schools including Morristown High School, Thomas Jefferson, Alexander Hamilton, 
Assumption,  Red  Oak,  Lafayette  Learning  Center  and  Peck.   Also  situated  in 
Morristown  are  large  residential  developments  including  40  Park,  Modera 
Apartments,  The  Highlands,  Vail  Commons,  Vail  Mansion,  Chancery  Square, 
Monroe  Apartments, Blair House and Hamilton Court Apartments.  Additionally, 
Morristown is home to many churches, synagogues and historical buildings such as 
Washington’s Headquarters.  The Morristown Fire Bureau is also responsible for 
responding to emergencies on Route 287 and Morristown Airport.
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OVERVIEW OF MORRISTOWN FIRE BUREAU
The Early Years  (1797-1866)
In 1797 Morristown was a village with 300 residents.  A small group of residents met 
at the home of Benjamin Freeman to discuss the procurement of ladders, buckets, ﬁre 
hooks, etc. to protect the safety of the buildings in town against destruction by ﬁre.  It 
was resolved that it be recommended to the proprietors of every house in the town to 
provide  at  least  one  ladder  and  one  to  two  leather  buckets.   It  was  further 
recommended to all the inhabitants of town that they provide a cistern or reservoir 
containing 15 to 30 hogsheads (63 to 140 gallons) of water.  Residents often utilized 
cisterns to catch rain water for potable use.  When a ﬁre occurred, ﬁreﬁghters would 
insert the ﬁre apparatus’ nozzle into the cistern to obtain a supply of water. 
In 1798, the Morris Aqueduct was established behind the current court house.  The 
motivation in establishing the aqueduct was to provide water to ﬁght ﬁres.  
In 1800, the citizens of the town once again met at Benjamin Freeman’s home to form a 
ﬁre company and to appoint suitable persons to take the command and give direction 
for extinguishing ﬁres.  
In 1817, a meeting was held to reorganize what apparently became a defunct ﬁre 
company and the Morristown Fire Association was organized.  Later on, in 1828 there 
is a media account of the formation of the Speedwell Fire Company.
In 1836, for the sum of $200 dollars, Lady Washington was purchased and the Relief 
Engine Company was formed.  
In  1837,  the  Council  and  General  Assembly  of  New  Jersey  passed  an  act  “to 
incorporate the Morristown Fire Association” and to deﬁne the boundaries within its 
jurisdiction.  The Association was empowered to “raise and organize two companies 
of ﬁremen with each ﬁreman to be exempt to jury duty.”  Arrangements were made 
for the construction of four cisterns and for the aqueduct company to provide a 
permanent supply of water for the cisterns.  To house equipment for the ﬁreﬁghters, 
two ﬁre houses were built located at the rear of the courthouse and on the grounds of 
the Presbyterian Church.
In 1859, there is mention of the formation of a hook and ladder company.  In 1860, the 
ﬁrst ﬁre hydrants were placed in town. 
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The Middle Years (1867-1970s)
In 1867, the Independent Hose Company, Board of Fire Wardens and Washington 
Engine Company were constituted by ordinance by the town’s governing body. In 
1869,  the  Resolute  Hook  and  Ladder  Company  and  Niagara  Steamer  Company 
(disbanded  1881)  organized.  Then  in  1882,  the  Humane  Engine  Company  was 
organized with members of the old Niagara Company.  During this time, Richard M. 
Stites of the Washington Engine Company was appointed Chief Engineer of the 
Morristown  Fire  Department  and  was  instrumental  in  establishing  the  ﬁrst  ﬁre 
ordinances  in  town,  obtaining  workable  equipment,  and  organizing  volunteer 
companies.  A local Morristown newspaper of the day, The Jerseyman, reporting on the 
formation of the Independent Hose Company stated, “A few young men ever ready to 
sacriﬁce time and money, to say nothing of the bewitching maiden, for the welfare of 
their fellow beings, met for the purpose of organizing a hose company.  They were 
nineteen in number, but nineteen true, noble and unselﬁsh men.”  
In 1870, the town purchased property on Market Street for the Independents and the 
Washington Engine Company.  The two companies shared a common residence but 
maintained an uneasy relationship.  A wall was eventually constructed to separate the 
two companies.  It was common knowledge in Morristown that if you were Irish you 
joined either the Washies or the First Ward Hose Company which was organized in 
1898 and located on Morris Street. The Independent Hose Company was primarily 
composed of Protestants.
Through the years, equipment was upgraded from hand-drawn hose carriages to 
horse drawn vehicles, and chemical engines.  Morristown acquired its ﬁrst motorized 
equipment in 1912.  
In 1929, the Career Division of the Morristown Fire Department was chartered into the 
New Jersey State Firemen’s Mutual Benevolent Association as Local 43.   
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Modern Day Era (1970s - Present)
During the 1970’s the Town of Morristown changed its form of government from that 
of a Board of Aldermen to the present Town Council.  The Mayor has the executive 
responsibility of running the town while the Council is the town’s legislative body.  At 
that  time,  the  Morristown  Fire  Department  became  the  Morristown  Fire  Bureau 
reporting to the Department of Public Safety.
Over time, the Career Division of the Morristown Fire Bureau evolved.  Originally, the 
individual ﬁre companies hired their own ﬁreﬁghters to staff their apparatus.  Today, 
the  Career  Division  is  employed  by  the  Town  of  Morristown  and  staff  all  ﬁre 
apparatus at Fire Headquarters located at 161 Speedwell Avenue.  The Career Division 
consists  of  one  Chief,  one  Deputy  Chief,  four  Captains,  one  Fire  Marshal  and 
26 ﬁreﬁghters. The Career Division ﬁreﬁghters are assigned to four separate tours of 
duty and work 24 hour shifts followed by 72 hours off.  
Currently, the Morristown Fire Bureau is a “combination ﬁre department” consisting 
of approximately 33 Career Division ﬁreﬁghters (includes ofﬁcers and marshal) and 20 
active Volunteer Division ﬁreﬁghters (includes ofﬁcers).  Additionally, the Volunteer 
Division welcomes non-ﬁreﬁghter support personnel who bring a specialized skill or 
knowledge to the ﬁre service to assist in the operation of the Volunteer Division. The 
Career Division and members of the six companies of the Volunteer Division work 
and train together.  The separate volunteer companies: 1) promote recruitment and 
retention,  2)  house  and  maintain  reserve  apparatus,  antique  apparatus  and 
equipment, and 3) company quarters are utilized for standby duty during special 
events or incidents. Additionally, one of the most important functions of the volunteer 
companies is for members to pass down from generation to generation the proud 
traditions and history of the ﬁre service in Morristown.
The Volunteer Division to this day continues to be comprised of six companies 
including: 
• The Independent Hose Company located at 15 Market Street
• The Washington Engine Company located at 17 Market Street 
• The Board of Fire Wardens located at 161 Speedwell Ave.
• The Resolute Hook & Ladder Company located at 161 Speedwell Ave. 
• The Humane Engine Company located at 161 Speedwell Ave.
• The First Ward Hose Company located at 155 Morris Street
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Each company elects their own President, Secretary, Treasurer and Stewards.
The Volunteer Division is led by line ofﬁcers, including the 1st Assistant Chief, 
2nd Assistant Chief, Captains and Lieutenants. During ﬁre operations the Morristown 
Fire Bureau operates under the Incident Command System (ICS) protocols. 
The Morristown Fire Bureau has seven pieces of apparatus which include:
Engine 1 - 2007 Spartan/Rosenbauer 2000 gpm pump
Engine 2 - 2005 Spartan/Rosenbauer 2000 gpm pump
Engine 3 - 1993 Spartan/Darley 1750 gpm pump
Ladder 1 - 2006 Spartan tractor/American LaFrance with a 110’ LTI ladder
Platform/Truck 2 - 1999 Spartan/American LaFrance with an 85’ LTI ladder 
Rescue 5 - 2006 Spartan/Rescue One
EMS 7 - 2001 Ford/PL Custom Ambulance
A typical response includes Engine 1, Engine 2, and Ladder 1 which are operated by 
the members of the Career Division. Any member of the Volunteer Division can ride 
out on any responding apparatus, however, volunteers typically keep their gear and 
respond to emergencies in their personal owned vehicles.
The Morristown Fire Bureau is dispatched by the Morris County Communication 
Center. Volunteer Fireﬁghters are alerted to respond via text messaging and pager 
activation. 
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ORGANIZATIONAL CHART
 
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FIRE CHIEF 
ROBERT D. FLANAGAN
PROVISIONAL DEPUTY CHIEF
  DOMINIC PRIZZI
TOUR 1
CAPTAIN
Philip Barter
TOUR 2
CAPTAIN
Thomas “Tex” DeGroot
TOUR 3
CAPTAIN
Stuart Williamson
TOUR 4
CAPTAIN
Greg “Herman” Blekicki
CAREER 
DIVISION 
FIREFIGHTERS
VOLUNTEER 
DIVISION 
FIREFIGHTERS
VOLUNTEER 
DIVISION 
OFFICERS
1st Asst. Chief
2nd Asst.Chief
Captain
Lieutenant 
Administratively Volunteer Division Ofﬁcers report to the Chief and Deputy Chief and 
Volunteer Division Fireﬁghters report to the Volunteer Division Ofﬁcers
Operationally the Morristown Fire Bureau follows the Incident Command System (ICS). In 
the event that no Career Division members are on scene, the highest ranking Volunteer
Division Ofﬁcer will establish command.
FIRE MARSHAL
MICHAEL D. GEARY


TRAINING AND PARTICIPATION
Over the years, the ﬁre service has evolved into a public safety agency providing 
highly technical and diverse services. The general public has come to rely on the Fire 
Department as the “ﬁrst responder” not only when life and property are threatened 
by manmade and natural disasters, but for smaller day-to-day problems as well.
To ensure that all members of the Fire Bureau are prepared to deliver the highest level 
of services required, training standards have been developed to provide each member 
with  the  needed  skills,  knowledge,  and  abilities  necessary  to  deliver  ﬁre  and 
emergency services to the citizens of Morristown.
To meet the requirements of the Morristown Fire Bureau, it is required that all 
members complete and pass Fireﬁghter I training. This format of training involves a 
great  deal  of  reading  and  self-directed  learning  on  the  part  of  the  ﬁreﬁghter. 
Fireﬁghters  must  complete  knowledge  and  performance  based  testing  to  obtain 
Fireﬁghter I and Hazardous Materials First Responder-Awareness Level certiﬁcations. 
This basic training is provided at the Morris County Fire Academy.  The Fireﬁghter I 
course is approximately 17 weeks at 2 evening classes per week.  There is also 
available  an  intensive  one  month  daytime  Fireﬁghter  I  session  provided  in  the 
summer.
Departmental training occurs on the Second (2nd) and Fourth (4th) Thursday of each 
month (with the exception of holidays), from 7:00 p.m. until 9:00 p.m. A minimum of 
50% attendance rate is required at regular training nights. Additionally, volunteers are 
encouraged to participate in “ride-out” nights that occur on Tuesday nights from 
7:00 p.m. until 9:00 p.m. where members standby at Speedwell Fire HQ and are 
assigned to ride out on apparatus. 
On average, a member can expect to commit ﬁve to ten hours per week to the ﬁre 
department. This would not include the ﬁrst 1-2 years where a great deal more time in 
self-directed learning will be expected.
Volunteer Fireﬁghters must attend a minimum of 50% of “All-Call” emergencies. 
Additionally, members are also required to attend Company meetings, participate in 
occasional on-call standby details and special events, which may include holidays. 
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VOLUNTEER FIREFIGHTER RECRUIT OVERVIEW
Minimum Requirements for Application:
❖18 years of age
❖Legal resident of the United States of America
❖Live within a ﬁve mile radius of the Municipal Building (200 South St., Morristown)
❖Valid Driver’s license, and clean driving record
❖Physically able to perform tasks associated with ﬁreﬁghting (see pgs. 12-15 below)
❖Proﬁcient in English (reading, writing and speaking)
❖No criminal record
❖A reliable means of transportation to respond to alarms, training, and events.
Other Desirable Skills:
❖First-Aid Training
❖C.P.R. / A.E.D. training
❖Previous Fireﬁghter experience
❖Demonstrated commitment (i.e. other volunteer service)
❖Bi-lingual (Spanish/other)
❖Related Experience (Medical, Military, Carpenter, Electrician, Mechanic, Plumber)
❖Previous Pertinent Training (i.e. Hazardous Materials, workplace safety, etc.)
FIREFIGHTER RECRUITMENT PROCESS OVERVIEW
PHASE ONE -
Application Submitted
PHASE TWO-
Interview by Recruitment Committee 
PHASE THREE- Finger Printing, Background Check and Driver Abstract Review
PHASE FOUR-
Medical Evaluation
PHASE FIVE-
Approval by the Morristown Town Council
PHASE SIX-
Fireﬁghter I Certiﬁcation Training / HAZMAT Awareness
A review of applications will be completed on an as needed basis, and selected 
applicants will be notiﬁed by telephone and in writing at which time they will have 
the opportunity to advance in the selection process.
The selection of applicants is based on qualiﬁcations and the ability to do the job of a 
ﬁreﬁghter.   The  successful  applicant  will  be  contacted  with  an  offer  to  join  the 
department in a probationary capacity in preparation for commencing actions as a 
volunteer ﬁreﬁghter. 
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VOLUNTEER DIVISION FIREFIGHTER 
DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES
POSITION SUMMARY:
Working  as  part  of  a  team,  under  the  direction  of  the  Fire  Chief  and/or 
Incident  Commander  (IC),  providing  ﬁrst  response,  ﬁre  suppression,  rescue  and 
specialized operations as required.
KEY DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:
❖Participate in regularly scheduled training sessions and maintain a minimum of 
50% attendance rate
❖Maintain a minimum attendance rate of 50% to emergency “all-call” incidents.
❖Attend all mandatory training and drills as required by the Morristown Fire Bureau.
❖Attend Company monthly meetings and pay annual Company Dues (if required)
❖Perform ﬁre ground operations so that lives are protected and property loss and 
damage to the environment is minimized. Some speciﬁc operations are, but not 
limited to:
• Extinguishing vehicle, structural, and ground ﬁres
• Recognizing hazards to prevent injuries to patients or rescuers
• Securing water supplies
• Advancing hose lines
• Operating portable lighting
• Performing search and rescue operations
• Operating and working with ground ladders
• Ventilating structures
• Performing salvage and overhaul operations
❖Perform rescue operations so that the patient is removed from an area of danger 
while preventing injury to the rescuer and/or patient. Some speciﬁc operations are, 
but not limited to:
• Performing vehicle extrication
• Securing area of structural collapse
• Performing conﬁned space rescue
• Performing land based water/ice rescues
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❖Perform  ﬁreﬁghter  safety  practices  so  that  safety  of  ﬁreﬁghters  is  maintained 
according to applicable standards and operating guidelines.
❖Operate and maintain equipment and tools within operating guidelines including 
cleaning of the ﬁre house, apparatus and equipment.
❖Assist with ﬁre prevention and public education programs as directed
JOB DETAILS:
Hours of Work:   Available to respond to emergencies 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
Training sessions 2nd/4th Thursday 7:00-9:00pm every month.
On-Call and special event/training exercises
Gear:
Volunteer Fireﬁghters will be furnished with the following gear 
which will remain the property of the Morristown Fire Bureau and 
must be returned in the event of resignation or termination.
• Turnout/Bunker Coat
• Turnout/Bunker Pants
• Helmet
• Hood
• Gloves
• Boots
• PASS Alarm
• Gear Bag
• Pager
Turnout Gear must be brought to the ﬁrehouse for cleaning after 
each incident. Attempting to wash gear at home could contaminate 
your home and your laundry machine.  In the event that gear is 
torn it must be repaired or replaced prior to being placed back in 
service.  Contaminated gear should not be brought into the home 
or left in the car for extended periods of time. Gear should be 
routinely inspected by each member. 
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VOLUNTEER FIREFIGHTER
ESSENTIAL TASKS
Fireﬁghting  is  a  job  that  requires  extraordinary  mental  and  physical  ﬁtness.   In 
accordance  with  NFPA 1582  (Medical  Program  for  Fire  Departments)  volunteer 
ﬁreﬁghters will be required to perform the following 13 essential job tasks:
1. Performing ﬁreﬁghting tasks (e.g. hose line operations, extensive crawling, lifting 
and carrying heavy objects, ventilating roofs or walls using power or hand tools, 
forcible entry), rescue operations, and other emergency response actions under 
stressful  conditions  while  wearing  personal  protective  equipment  and  self-
contained breathing apparatus (SCBA), including working in extremely hot or cold 
environments for prolonged time periods.
2. Wearing an SCBA, that includes a demand valve-type positive-pressure face-piece 
or HEPA ﬁlter mask, which requires the ability to tolerate increased respiratory 
workloads.
3. Exposure  to  toxic  fumes,  irritants,  particulates,  biological  (infectious)  and 
nonbiological hazards, and/or heated gases, despite the use of personal protective 
equipment and SCBA.
4. Climbing six or more ﬂights of stairs while wearing ﬁre protective equipment 
weighing at least 50 pounds or more and carrying equipment/tools weighing an 
additional 20-40 pounds.
5. Wearing ﬁre protective equipment that is encapsulating and insulated, which will 
result in signiﬁcant ﬂuid loss that frequently progresses to clinical dehydration and 
can elevate core temperature to levels exceeding 102.2 degrees Fahrenheit.
6. Searching,  ﬁnding  and  rescue-dragging  or  carrying  victims  ranging  from 
newborns  up  to  adults  weighing  in  excess  of  200  pounds  to  safety  despite 
hazardous conditions and low visibility.
7. Advancing  water-ﬁlled  hose  lines  up  to  2  1⁄2  inches  in  diameter  from  ﬁre 
apparatus to occupancy (in excess of 150 feet), which can involve negotiating 
multiple ﬂights of stairs, ladders, and other obstacles.
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8. Climbing ladders, operating from heights, walking or crawling in the dark along 
narrow and uneven surfaces and operating in proximity to electrical power lines 
and/or other hazards.
9. Unpredictable emergency requirements for prolonged periods of physical exertion 
without beneﬁt of warm-up/stretching, scheduled rest periods, meals, access to 
medication(s), or hydration.
10. Operating ﬁre apparatus or other vehicles in an emergency mode with lights and 
sirens, in various light and weather conditions.
11. Critical,  time-sensitive,  complex  problem  solving  during  physical  exertion  in 
stressful, hazardous environments, including hot, dark, tightly enclosed spaces, 
that is further aggravated by fatigue, ﬂashing lights, sirens and other distractions.
12. Ability  to  communicate  (give  and  comprehend  verbal  orders)  while  wearing 
personal protective equipment and SCBA under conditions of high background 
noise,  poor  visibility,  and  drenching  from  hose  lines  and/or  ﬁxed  protection 
systems (sprinklers).
13. Functioning as an integral component of a team, where sudden incapacitation of a 
member can result in the mission failure or in risk of injury or death to civilians or 
other team members.
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CONTACT INFORMATION
We want to acknowledge the effort every applicant puts into 
the pursuit of being a firefighter and the desire each 
possesses to assist in the protection of the community.   
Thank  You  For  Your  Consideration  in  Joining  the 
Volunteer Division of the Morristown Fire Bureau.
Contact Information:
Primary Point of Contact
Michael D. Geary. - Morristown Fire Ofﬁcial
Morristown Fire Bureau
161 Speedwell Avenue
Morristown, New Jersey 07960
973) 292-6603
m-geary@townofmorristown.org
Secondary Point of Contact
Lindsay Doyle - MFB Secretary 
Morristown Fire Bureau
161 Speedwell Avenue
Morristown, New Jersey 07960
(973) 292-6603
l-doyle@townofmorristown.org
MORRISTOWN FIRE BUREAU
RECRUIT ORIENTATION GUIDE
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