Ride-Along Program
Experience the Firefighter Ride-Along Program and See a Day in the Life at Your Local Fire Station
Questions? Contact
For any questions regarding the Ride-a-Long, please email: ERFPDHiring@eagleriverfire.org
Ride-Along Program
A Ride-Along Program is an opportunity for an individual to meet with a crew in a fire station for a designated period.
The Ride-Along options are:
- When a seat on a fire engine is available and the crew has the time to support it, the Ride-Along will occur at that fire station, and the rider will ride on the fire engine with the crew.
- When no seat is available on a fire engine, the rider will accompany the Battalion Chief for the day and ride with them in the Battalion Chief’s vehicle.
The availability of an open seat on a fire engine will not be known until the day of the Ride-Along, so unfortunately, you will not be able to choose beforehand. However, you can request a specific engine or individual employee you would like to have your Ride-Along and we will do what we can to accommodate.
Ride-Along Program participants are to observe only; riders are not to take part in emergency operations.
Time limits
The standard Ride-Along timeframe is from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.. No Ride-Along will occur on “line-observed” holidays unless approved by the Battalion Chief.
Riders should arrive no earlier than 15 minutes before to the start of the Ride-Along.
Though rare, there may be events or other reasons that a Ride-Along will need to end earlier than the scheduled period or even be cancelled. If that occurs, the Training Lieutenant will reschedule the Ride-Along to occur on another day.
If the Ride-Along ends early due to behavioral or legal issues of the rider, you will not participate in the Ride-Along Program again at Eagle River Fire.
Hiring Processes
Due to the surge of requests that occur during a hiring periods—and to ensure fairness to all applicants—the Ride-Along Program is suspended for any applicants during the duration of any hiring process.
Requirements
- Be at least 18 years of age, or 16+ with parental/guardian consent.
- Not currently enrolled in an ERFPD hiring process.
Scheduling
The process for scheduling:
- Riders who meet the listed requirements please, should email erfpdhiring@eagleriverfire.org to express interest in participating in the Ride-Along Program. Please include:
- Your name
- Phone number
- When is the best time of day for us to contact you
- Up to three preferred dates that would work best for you to ride. All dates need to be a minimum of 2 weeks out.
- A designated Ride-Along coordinator will contact you to schedule the Ride-Along.
- Riders will receive a background release form for allowing the district to conduct a criminal background check. Background checks are valid for 30 days, so the release should not be submitted more than 30 days before the scheduled from the Ride-Along date. Any background check fee is the responsibility of the rider.
- The rider will receive a Ride-Along packet to read, complete, and bring with them on the day of their Ride-Along.
Please Note: The Eagle River Fire Protection District reserves the right to deny any request. If the district does not approve your request, you will receive a timely notification of the reason.
To ensure fairness and availability, participation in the Ride-Along Program may be limited to once per year.
Standards of Conduct
A Ride-Along participant must uphold the same standards and values as ERFPD firefighters. Riders must review and understand the Ride-Along Guidelines provided prior to their scheduled date.
Attire and Appearance
A clean, and professional appearance is an essential element to being a firefighter. As a rider, you will be associated with the crew while interacting with the public and must meet the attire and grooming standards outlined in the Ride-Along Guidelines. Failure to comply may result in early termination of your Ride-Along.
Cancellations and Tardiness
The Eagle River Fire Protection District understands that emergencies may require cancellation of a scheduled Ride-Along.
- Riders must provide at least 24 hours’ notice for cancellations, unless the reason is urgent (e.g., illness or family emergency).
- Riders who arrive late to a Ride-Along without prior notice will have their Ride-Along terminated and will need to reschedule.
- A restriction on any future Ride-Along may occur for a rider who fails to attend for their scheduled Ride-Along without any forward notice.
For cancellations of 24 hours or more:
Contact Lieutenant of Recruitment and Training by phone or text at (970) 763-4879.
For cancellations under 24 hours, or notification of anticipated tardiness:
Contact the on-duty Battalion Chief at (970) 977-6621.
Questions
For any questions or needs please feel free to email us at: erfpdhiring@eagleriverfire.org.