Interested in Becoming an MCFD No. 1 Volunteer Firefighter?
The largest and most valuable assets to our organization are our Volunteers who call Marion County Fire District No. 1 home.
Since MCFD No. 1 was formed over 30 years ago with the merger of the Brooks Rural Fire District and Four Corners Fire District, established an area of emergency coverage of more than 80 square miles.
Today, we meet the emergency needs of citizens with a diversified Career and Volunteer workforce. Our programs utilize Volunteers in many capacities, through three different response type positions:
The Student Resident position was created to maintain consistent staffing of our six volunteer response stations. Individuals are assigned to a specific career shift enabling them to work consistently along side career firefighters and paramedics. This program best prepares individuals to enter the workforce with current educational training, skills and practical work experience. Minimum activity requirements are measured quarterly to include on duty time, training time and public service/education hours.
Qualifications: You must be accepted to or currently enrolled and actively participating in the Chemeketa Community College Fire Program. Other fire and or EMS related college enrollment are considered on a case-by-case basis.
The Tour of Duty position was created to accommodate individuals who wished to give of their time to MCFD No. 1 but do not live within a limited driving distance to one of our designated Volunteer response Stations. This Volunteer position type allows the flexibility to schedule convenient times to be on duty and available to respond to the communities needs. Minimum activity requirements are measured quarterly to include on-duty time, training time, and public service/education hours. We recruit Operations Support Volunteers as entry-level with opportunities to advance to other positions after an appointment and initial training.
The Home Responder position is the traditional volunteer role. This position has existed in US history since Benjamin Franklin established the first volunteer fire department in Philadelphia (1736). Many of today’s more rural fire agencies and fire districts rely on volunteers who respond when needed. Home Responders live within a limited driving distance of one of our designated Volunteer response Stations. We have Firefighter and Operations Support volunteer positions available at several stations.
Our Home Responding Volunteer Firefighters also contribute a couple of 12-hour shifts per month that the Volunteer selects based on their availability. The number of 12-hour shifts varies depending on how many calls for service the Volunteer is available to participate in from their home assigned station. The fewer calls they are able to respond to with their assigned home station will have a higher number of 12-hour shifts. This ensures the Volunteer Firefighter is receiving ongoing opportunities to utilize their skills and training on actual scene events. This also encourages ongoing training and promotional opportunities for more advanced positions in leadership.
Qualifications: Firefighter positions are available to those who are already certified or qualify for reciprocity. We recruit Operations Support Volunteers as entry-level with opportunities to advance to other positions after an appointment and initial training.
Volunteer Firefighter Recruitment Open!
Are you ready to make a difference in your community? Marion County Fire District No. 1 is looking for dedicated, service-minded individuals to volunteer with us alongside our professional career staff! As a volunteer firefighter with MCFD1, you will have meaningful opportunities to grow, serve, and lead.
Our combination fire district is built on a strong foundation and tradition of excellence, teamwork, and public service. We value integrity, professionalism, and the willingness to go above and beyond for the communities that we serve.
Recruitment Schedule
(This is our intended schedule, however it may change based on fire district needs. Please contact our Volunteer Coordinator if you have any questions.)
| Start Date | End Date | |
| 8/14/2026 | 9/18/2026 | Application period open. Your application must be received by 5:00pm on 9/18 to be considered. Applications are only available online through our HR platform. |
| 9/21/2026 | 9/25/2026 | Panel reviews applications received. Applications will be reviewed to ensure they are complete. Applicants moving forward will be contacted by phone during this time to schedule panel interviews. If you are unavailable to receive phone calls, ensure that a voice mail message can be left at the phone number you provided on your application. |
| 9/30/2026 | 10/2/2026 | Panel Interviews with Applicants. Applicants chosen to move forward will be notified following the panel interview. Applicants moving forward are strongly encouraged to begin filling out the Statement of Personal History provided in the notification. |
| 10/6/2026 | 10/6/2026 | Candidate Physical Agility Testing (CPAT). Depending on the number of Applicants, testing may need to continue on a second day. Upon passing your CPAT, your Statement of Personal History is now due. |
| 10/12/2026 | 10/16/2026 | Chief’s Interviews. Candidates who have passed CPAT and submitted their Statement of Personal History will be contacted to participate in a Chief Officer interview during this week. |
| 10/12/2026 | 10/30/2026 | Reference checks, driving history and background investigation is ongoing. Towards the end of the background investigation process you will be contacted to schedule an occupational health exam with our medical provider at our expense. |
| 11/20/2026 | 11/20/2026 | Last day for occupational health exam appointments to be completed. |
| 12/15/2026 | 12/15/2026 | Onboarding, MCFD1 orientation, Quartermaster, IT set up |
| 1st Week of Jan 2027 | Academy Begins | |
Academy FAQs
The academy schedule for 2027 will not be finalized until December, 2026. Exact dates and times for each session are not yet available.
Generally speaking, academy will consist of:
- Weekly self-paced reading and online testing component.
- Wednesday evening lecture and/or drill.
- Saturday and Sunday all day hands-on skills practice.
After successful completion of academy, you will have completed the material required to be certified by DPSST for:
- NFPA Hazardous Materials Awareness
- NFPA Hazardous Materials Operations
- NFPA Firefighter I
- NWCG Firefighter Type 2
Volunteer Position Descriptions
For each of the types of participation levels above, the following are the position descriptions. Individuals interested in volunteering their time should review the specific training requirements and activity descriptions.
Answer the Call!
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