Petersburg Volunteer Fire Department, (PVFD) has a yearly Family Activity Day where they invite members of the community to bring the kids and explore the Fire Station and it’s three branches, Fire, Search and Rescue and EMS. They’re always looking for volunteers, so they also take the opportunity to ask people that show up to become part of their team.
The Petersburg Volunteer Fire Department (PVFD) responds to emergencies throughout the Petersburg Borough serving over 3,000 residents. Their primary response area is Service Area 1, however they do respond to emergencies outside Service Area 1. They respond on the road system via vehicles with personnel and equipment. They respond off of the road system and to remote locations via boat, fixed winged aircraft, or helicopter with personnel and equipment.
The Borough employs two people, Fire/EMS Director and Fire Marshal, to oversee the day-to-day activity of the Fire Department. These two positions work closely with the Volunteer Fire Chief to ensure the mission of the PVFD is being met and the Volunteers have adequate training and equipment to respond safely.
PVFD has three branches: Fire, Emergency Medical Services (EMS), and Search and Rescue (SAR). They have about 65 adult Volunteer members (17 fire, 13 EMS, 23 SAR, 11 Fire/EMS, and 1 Fire/EMS/SAR) on our roster. They also have a Junior Firefighter (JFF) program for youth ages 15-18 years old with eight Volunteer members on our roster.
The Fire Branch responds to fires, vehicle accidents, bad smells, fire alarms, small fuel leaks, carbon monoxide alarms, earthquakes, aircraft emergencies, building collapses, hazardous materials incidents, technical rescues, explosions, civil disturbances, terrorist attacks, etc. The firefighters regularly train three times per month. The Fire Marshal serves as the training officer for the Fire Branch.
The EMS Branch responds to all medical emergencies, medevac transports, assistance at the hospital, and fire related calls. The EMS personnel are trained from Emergency Trauma Technician (ETT) through Emergency Medical Technician 2 (EMT-2) and regularly train twice per month. The Fire/EMS Director serves as the training officer for the EMS Branch and works closely with the Medical Director to ensure the department stays in compliance with pre-hospital requirements.
The SAR Branch responds to all lost or missing person calls when requested by Alaska State Trooper and the public. They have assisted people stranded due to weather, tides, equipment failure, or injury. They also train in rope rescue techniques. They assist EMS and Fire when more personnel are needed.The SAR personnel regularly train twice per month. The Volunteer SAR Captain serves as the training officer for the SAR Branch.
The Junior Firefighter Program teaches young men and women the necessary skills to assist the Fire Branch in basic fire ground operations. Our goal is to have them develop a sense of public service, team work and leadership skills. The Junior Firefighters regularly train three times per month during the school year. This program is managed by adult Firefighters at the discretion of the Fire Chief.
In addition to responding to emergencies and attending training, the fire department volunteers sponsor community events such as dances, car washes, and family activity nights. We educate preschool through 5th grade students about fire safety with a Learn-Not-To-Burn program during Fire Prevention Week. We participate in the Community Health and Safety Fair and Child Safety Fair.
The Fire Department has two Fire Stations, a training tower/burn room, pump test pit, and 10 vehicles in its fleet. Station 1 is the main station where you can find the Career Staff, three 750 gallon Engines capable of pumping 1,250 gallons per minute, one 250 gallon Engine/Squad, two Basic Life Support/Advanced Life Support Ambulances, one SAR vehicle, and one Admin vehicle. Station 2 is located at Scow Bay and is unmanned. It houses one 750 gallon Engine capable of pumping 1,250 gallons per minute and one 3,500 gallon Water Tanker with a portable tank. The Training tower/burn room and pump test pit are also located at Station 2.
The Volunteer members have an Association to support the Department. The Association, known as Petersburg Volunteer Fire Department, Inc., is a 501 (c) (3) non-profit organization. The Association can be contacted via mail at P.O. Box 75, Petersburg, AK 99833 or followed on Facebook.
