Ride Alongs

Section 1 - ADMINISTRATIVE

PURPOSE:

To establish the procedures whereby civilians and Departmental Chaplains can ride to observe the operations of the fire department in order to obtain a real life perspective of what the fire department is all about.

PROCEDURE:

• Any person wishing to participate in the ride along program must be at least 16 years of age or older. Exceptions may be made under certain circumstances.
• All persons must obtain the appropriate rider release forms and submit the fee for conducting a criminal background check. No one will be permitted to ride if they have criminal charges pending or past criminal convictions. (*Immediate family members of FD members may be excused from these background checks upon approval of FD Administration)
• Upon clearance, the person will be notified of their approval to ride. They will be directed to schedule the ride time with the on-duty Battalion Chief.

LIMITATIONS:

• Civilians who have been approved to ride may do so no more than once per every 6 (six) month period. (Chaplains are exempt from this limitation)
• The Fire Chief or his/her designee may deviate from frequency and duration for individuals seeking education/knowledge related to future fire service employment.
• The Fire Chief or his/her designee may make exceptions to this policy based on special or unique circumstances.
• Rider approval is good for one-year from the date of the background check.
• Only one civilian rider may be permitted per station/per shift.
• Civilian riders shall not be permitted to ride for more than 8 hours. Ride times are limited to 0700-1900.
• Rider’s must wear a solid white collared shirt, dark blue or black pants, black closed toed shoes, and the rider nametag.
  **The nametag will be issued at the beginning of the ride and must be returned upon completion of the ride.
• Civilian riders must not carry any weapons.
• No civilian (even if they are a certified firefighter, EMT, Paramedic, RN, etc.) shall participate in patient treatment or fire service operations and may not handle FD equipment.
• No civilian shall represent themselves as a member of the Fire Department and must ensure that the reputation of the Fire Department is protected from harm by their actions.

RESPONSIBILITIES:

• It is the responsibility of the on-duty Battalion Chief to ensure that all requirements of the program are followed.
• The on-duty Battalion Chief has the authority to refuse any rider for cause. (appearance, demeanor, etc.)