Whether it’s a an accident on a highway, a fire in progress or any one of dozens of emergency responses or that demand the fire department or require crowd control, when you come upon the scene of a fire, rescue or emergency, the first Alpha Volunteers you see are often the Alpha Fire Police.

Fire Police Are Often The First To Arrive, And Last To Leave.

These women and men are members of the company who protect the fire fighters focused on the fire or rescue in progress. Alpha Fire Police are trained to manage the safety perimeter around the scene to detour traffic and spectators, keeping them out of harm’s way or from interfering with operations. By preventing interference with fire ground operations, the fire fighters are able to concentrate on the emergency in front of them.

Who Are The Fire Police?

Fire Police are Alpha volunteers who don’t typically fight fires. Some are retired from the fire service or law enforcement, and some are also active firefighters. It’s interesting to note that most were never first responders before joining Alpha—and represent a true cross section of ages and occupations. Many of our Fire Police force are age 50 and above—either nearing, entering, or at retirement, looking for something meaningful to do that provides a sense of greater purpose. You can be a Fire Police member and not be an Alpha Firefighter! So while it’s true Alpha Fire Police do know how to wrap a hydrant and charge a supply line to help out the engine crew, their main mission is to watch the firefighters’ backs while establishing a managed and safe emergency scene. Alpha Fire Police get free state certified training in traffic laws, traffic safety, perimeter scene control, emergency driving, radio communications, and inter-agency cooperation. Fire Police are often called upon to assist other public safety agencies, including the Pennsylvania State Police, all local police agencies, PennDot, local Public Works departments, and neighboring fire companies. Alpha Fire Police also support Arson Investigators during investigations, and as you might expect, our Fire Police force is often the first on the scene and the last to leave.

Fire Police Get Around!

From crowd control to car crashes, fires to floods, and just about any emergency you can (or can’t) imagine, Alpha Fire Police are there. And we get there using two ¾ ton utility trucks—called Traffic 1 and Traffic 2—that haul traffic cones, warning signs, flares, lights, generators, message boards, traffic diversion arrows and other safety gear. A Fire Police member is “on duty” every day. That means the member takes of the Fire Police units home with them for immediate response—rather than having to drive to the station. The other unit is at the downtown station to respond when both are needed.  This procedure helps to support our “Standard of Cover” to have scene perimeters established prior to, or upon arrival of fire/rescue apparatus.

A Force To Be Reckoned With.

Scene safety is paramount in any emergency situation. Fire fighters, motorists, and spectators can be (and often are) injured in situations where scene safety has not been well established. The Alpha Fire Police are the force to be reckoned with to prevent such catastrophe. So, while they don’t run into burning buildings, or extricate people from a car crash, the Fire Police do protect life and property: both the public and our first-responders. We couldn’t be the Alpha Fire Company without them.  Learn more about joining Alpha’s Fire Police or Volunteer Fire Company here.