Capital City Fire/Rescue, the emergency services provider for the City and Borough of Juneau, is currently looking for dedicated, hardworking individuals to be volunteer firefighters. CCFR is interested in people with all types of skills, abilities and backgrounds. Currently, CCFR has about 40 volunteers; it ideally needs around 60.

“If you’re interested at all in volunteering, come check it out. Come down to a station, meet the people, watch a drill and see if this is your group of people. It’s not for everybody, but the sense of camaraderie, team work and challenge is extremely rewarding,” Assistant Chief Tod Chambers said.

CCFR is a combination fire department, which means it has both paid and volunteer personnel. Despite that difference, everyone at Capital City Fire Rescue is a professional. Career and volunteer firefighters receive the same training and are held to the same standards. Most firefighters receive 200 to 600 hours of training per year. Volunteer staff can be firefighters or EMS personnel, or both. The Douglas, Auke Bay and Lynn Canal fire stations are volunteer stations that CCFR struggles to keep properly staffed.

CCFR responds to all 911 calls that are not related to law enforcement, including fires of all types; medical calls; airport and aircraft emergencies; boat and vessel disasters; fire code complaints; fire and carbon monoxide alarms; swift water, ice, rope and trail rescue; suspected hazardous materials incidents; open burning complaints; reported unsafe structure; air medevacs and anything else that gets called in. CCFR also investigates fire, fulfills public education requests, conducts station tours and stands by at public events.

Volunteers must be a minimum age of 18 years old and possess a valid Alaska Driver’s License.  All training and equipment is provided. CCFR also offers a Cadet Program for those under 18.

For more information, contact Assistant Chief Tod Chambers at 586-0918 or [email protected], or read the CCFR Volunteer Information.

You’ve likely heard about the Fire Marshal in reference to something negative happening. The public commonly associates the title of Fire Marshal with someone who shuts down a local bar for overcrowding or arrests someone for arson, but the Capital City Fire/Rescue Fire Marshal’s Office actually does a lot more.

Fire Marshals hold international certifications in fire inspection, and fire/arson and explosion investigation. There is one Fire Marshal and one Deputy Fire Marshal for the entire City and Borough of Juneau, which includes remote areas such as the mines for ensuring the minimum code requirements are being followed and for any fire investigations.

For some background, the first City Marshal was established in Juneau in 1901 and was responsible for enforcing criminal laws and be the point of contact for public safety.  Over the decades, the roles and responsibilities have evolved though some concerns are timeless, like emergency apparatus access and water supply availability that are as challenging today as they were back then.

The CCFR Fire Marshal’s Office is one of the few deferred jurisdictions in Alaska with a broad authority to enforce the fire code with the ability to write citations, serve administrative and criminal search warrants with Juneau Police Department assistance, and pursue criminal charges for violators of fire and life safety codes and arson related crimes.

The Fire Marshal’s Office is the component of the fire service specifically designated to reduce the loss of life and property caused by fire through education and prevention. The Fire Marshal and Deputy Fire Marshal interact almost daily with local, state and federal agencies, schools, businesses, elected officials and representatives of public and private industry. They conduct approximately 500 business inspections, fire alarm and fire sprinkler system inspections and investigate over 50 fire incidents of various types each year using their knowledge in chemistry, criminal law/investigation procedures and forensics. They review commercial building plans for fire and life safety compliance and fire alarm and fire sprinkler system installation and testing.

Fire Marshals do a lot. Here are some other responsibilities: They are emergency responders that are trained as firefighters and emergency medical technicians. They are required to be well-versed and knowledgeable in all aspects of the fire department, building construction and fire behavior. They provide all hazards safety education to a broad audience ranging from preschool to elderly adult groups, so if you have any general fire safety questions, give the Fire Marshal’s Office a call at 586-5322.

(This originally appeared in the January 15, 2018 Juneau Empire in a segment called, “City Corner”).

Santa Claus is coming to town! Capital City Fire/Rescue will once again be driving Santa around Downtown Juneau and Douglas on Dec. 9 and the Mendenhall Valley on Dec. 16 starting around 5:30 p.m. CCFR firefighters will be handing out candy canes and escorting Santa, who’ll make occasional stops along the way to meet and talk to children.

On Dec. 9. Santa will begin his route at the roundabout near the Mount Roberts Tramway at 5:30 pm.

Santa’s Route – Downtown:

• Start at 5:30 pm at the Mount Roberts Tramway
• Transit down Franklin Street to Front Street.
• Follows Front Street and turns Right on Main Street.
• Turn Right on Calhoun.
• Follow Calhoun to 12th Street.
• Turn Right on Glacier Avenue.
• Turn Right on Behrends Avenue.
• Drives to CCF/R Station 1 after Behrends Avenue for a quick break.

On Dec. 16, Santa will begin his route at Gruening Park at 5:30.

Santa’s Route – Mendenhall Valley:

• Start at 5:30 pm at Gruening Park
• Transit to Glacier Valley Elementary School at 6:00 pm
• Leaves Glacier Valley Elementary School at 6:30 pm
• Turn left on Haloff Way and follow through on Stephen Richards to Riverside.
• Transit North on Riverside and turn right on Long Run Drive
• Begin handing out candy canes on Long Run Drive
• Turn left on Portage Blvd and turn right on Aspen Ave
• Turn right on Taku Blvd.
• Transit down Mendenhall Loop to Thunder Mountain Road
• Hand out candy canes down Thunder Mountain Road to Thunder Mountain Trailer Park
• 15 minutes with Santa and Mrs. Claus at Glacier Valley Church of God (8497 Thunder Mountain Road)
• Transit Mendenhall Loop to Montana Creek Road
• Transit Montana Creek Road to Ninnis Drive
• Hand out candy canes on Ninnis Drive and follow around Wolfram Way