CR Program

WHO IS THE CRISIS RESPONSE TEAM?

Crisis Response members are professionally trained volunteers, dedicated to providing quality on-scene crisis assistance and support services to people in Surprise and the Northwest Valley. Crisis Response units respond and work in partnership with all Northwest Valley fire departments and police agencies.

 

WHAT DOES THE UNIT DO?

The Team responds to emergency scenes to provide assistance, guidance, referral and grief support to citizens during a crisis or tragedy. Here are examples of when they are called:

Fire loss… residential & commercial Drownings Death notification Grief Support Homicides Domestic violence

Fatalities Suicide Mental and/or physical abuse Alternative means of transportation (based on program guidelines)

HOW DOES IT WORK?

CR volunteers are dispatched by Phoenix alarm room on various crisis calls and they respond and work in partnership with all Northwest Valley fire departments and police agencies. CR volunteers currently operate out of Fire Station 1 in Surprise. The CR volunteers have a van specifically for the program to respond to crisis calls. There is also a computer on the van utilized by the volunteers to assist in communicating with the Phoenix alarm room regarding the crisis call and to help find the location where they need to respond. While on scene, CR volunteers assist with providing emotional support, social service resource information, makes phone calls to friends, family, insurance companies, Red Cross as needed. CR volunteers also assist with providing water, snacks, blankets etc. to people involved in a crisis situation as needed.

WHY DOES THE SURPRISE FIRE DEPARTMENT NEED SUCH A PROGRAM?

Last year the Surprise Fire Department responded to more than 13,000 calls for assistance. Many of those calls involved families who were faced with a devastating personal crisis. The Surprise Fire Department is proud of our reputation of providing the highest level of service to our community. We have developed a program specifically designed and modeled to provide assistance to those families who are in need of immediate crisis intervention. It is essential for firefighters to be available 100 percent of the time and ready and able to go to the next call. The Crisis Response Team focuses specifically on increasing the reliability of each firefighter & police officer by releasing them after the emergency has been resolved and intervention has been identified.

TO VOLUNTEER FOLLOW THESE STEPS

1. Schedule a ride along on the Crisis Response van. Select the Crisis Response Van Ride Along Request Form and complete. Submit the form and a ride along will be scheduled for you.
2. Download an Application
3. Return application to:
4. Meet the following Qualifications:

• Must be 18 years of Age
• High School diploma/GED
• Valid Driver’s License
• Successful passing of a background check
• Commitment of 16 hours minimum a month
• Attendance at mandatory quarterly meetings are required
• Must be able to stand for long periods of time, have the ability to drive (day or night),and can lift a minimum of 30 lbs.

Interviews: Are conducted as needed

Selection Process: Once a ride along has been completed, applicant can submit an application. After the application is reviewed, you will be scheduled for an oral interview. After the interview selection, volunteers will be required to attend 30+ hours of classroom and on the job training.

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