IPSWICH — The Ipswich Fire Department is holding a recruitment drive as it looks for a few dedicated men and women to join its Call Firefighter Department. Members of the Call Force receive full firefighter training, ranging from fire suppression to emergency first aid to vehicle extrication. They are then called to work alongside the Town’s career firefighters during emergencies. For this, they receive an hourly wage comparable to that of their full-time peers.
“Our Call Firefighters play a crucial role in major emergencies like structure fires and woodland fires, and also provide emergency coverage for the town when our career firefighters are tied up with other responses”, says Fire Chief Paul Parisi. “Having a robust Call Force is essential to our mission of protecting Ipswich, its residents and its property.”
Qualified applicants will be enrolled in the Massachusetts Firefighting Academy Call/Volunteer Firefighter Class being held in Hamilton from October through February. Sessions are held two weekday evenings a week as well as every other Saturday. The class includes several trips to the Firefighting Academy in Stow, where recruits practice firefighting skills in “live burns” in the Academy’s Burn House.
“The training is rigorous and challenging, both physically and mentally, and very rewarding,” says Chief Parisi. “And that will be part of the appeal for the kind of person we are looking for to join our Call Force.”
An informational meeting is being held at the Ipswich Fire Station on Thursday, June 2 at 6:00. Anyone with questions can call Chief Paul Parisi at 978-356-6629 or email him at pparisi@ipswichfire.org.
