Frequently Asked Questions
I’m interested in joining the department, what are the requirements?
That is great! We always need volunteers for firefighting, EMS and in support roles such as maintenance, administrative or technical. Experience is not necessary. Please see the Join D2VFD page for more information, but generally you need to apply for membership and go through our classes where you will learn everything you need to know to become an active member of the department.
What other responsibilities do firefighters have?
Emergency calls represents only about fifteen percent of the work of a typical fire department. The number of residential and commercial fires has steadily decreased over the years due to a variety of factors including improvements in construction, a greater public awareness of the risk factors leading to fires and a significant reduction in smoking nationwide. Fires, however, are only some of the emergencies to which the Fire Department responds. Nearly eighty percent of the Fire Department’s emergency responses are, in fact, calls for medical aid, including illness/accidents at home and work, and injuries resulting from vehicle crashes. Other calls for emergency response involve hazardous materials releases, technical rescues, response to fire alarms and other calls for public assistance. Firefighters also spend much of their time maintaining equipment, training for all types of emergency responses and filling out the reports and paperwork associated with these activities.
Are the fire stations staffed 24/7?
All of the department members are volunteer. There are no sleeping quarters at our fire stations so primary response is usually from the member’s house to the fire station then to incident location. With any volunteer fire department, response times can be longer than what is common for paid fire departments that have members sitting at the station ready to go. We do our best to get there as fast and safely as possible.
I need a copy of a report for a recent fire or EMS/ambulance call.
Please contact the Chief at firechief@district2vfd.org to request a copy of the report. Report copies are $5 each.
Why do I sometimes see fire trucks or ambulances running with their lights and sirens on, and then suddenly they turn them off?
Emergency lights and sirens are used when responding to a call. Emergency vehicles responding to a call can be cancelled by dispatch, or the first arriving unit determines that the call is not an emergency and tells the other units to respond in a non-emergency mode or to return to the station.
Can I have my child’s birthday party at the station?
This is a request that we receive frequently and regrettably are unable to accommodate. Instead we can arrange what we call a “station tour”. A station tour is where the firefighters would provide a guided tour of the fire station and apparatus to your party including letting the kids sit in the fire truck and try on some of the equipment that the firefighters wear. Pictures of course are always welcome. Remember, even when tours are scheduled, the tour may be cut short or cancelled due to personnel being dispatched to an emergency and having to leave. If this is something that you are interested in, we would be happy to give you more information. Please call 979-589-3263.
Why do you block traffic lanes at auto accidents, sometimes more lanes than necessary?
We block traffic lanes for the safety of our personnel and our patients. Blocking extra lanes keep our personnel safe when they go back to our apparatus to get more equipment and help protect the victim we are trying to stabilize. Over 25 firefighters are killed or injured each year while working at incidents on streets and highways.
What should I do when I see or hear an emergency vehicle coming towards me when I’m driving?
When it is safe to do so, you should pull over to the right and stop until all emergency vehicles have safely passed. If you cannot safely maneuver to the right, simply stop and stay stopped so the vehicles can go around you safely.
Does the Fire Department fill fire extinguishers?
Brazos County District 2 Fire Department is not equipped to fill fire extinguishers at this time. However, you can find local fire extinguisher businesses in the yellow pages to refill them.
My smoke detector is chirping, what does that mean?
Most modern smoke detectors will chirp to alert you the batteries are low, you should replace the batteries and test your smoke detector. Smoke detectors can be purchased at any hardware or large commercial department store.
How often should I change the batteries in my smoke detectors?
We recommend you change the batteries in your smoke detectors every 6 months, an easy way to remember is to change batteries when you reset your clock for daylight savings time.
Do you fill swimming pools?
No, we do not fill swimming pools.
Do you swap patches or other items?
We do not currently have an established policy on this and requests are handled on a case by case basis. Please submit your request on the Contact Us section of the website.