"Quote needed. Why I joined."
Flanders Fire Co. #1 and Rescue Squad Mount Olive Township, NJ. Volunteer since 1923.
You have driven past this firehouse a hundred times. Next time, you could be on the truck.
No experience needed. We train you as a firefighter or an EMT, and the Fire Company pays the tuition.
The ask
Thursdays, 7:30 to 9:30 pm
That is it to start.
100% volunteer 100 years of service 100-foot tower ladder
- Founded 1923in a member's barn
- Fire and EMSunder one roof
- Tuition paidFire Fighter I, EMT or EMR
- 27 Main StreetFlanders, NJ 07836
Why people join
Most people never get to do any of this.
Our members do it on a Thursday night.
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You learn the real thing.
Hose work, ladders, forcible entry, the Jaws of Life. Drills run with every piece of equipment, every Thursday.
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You are trained before you are trusted.
Within your first year you enroll in Fire Fighter I, EMT or EMR. The Fire Company pays the tuition.
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The gear is not a hand-me-down.
A 2021 Pierce tower with a 100-foot ladder, a rescue engine with hydraulic tools, a 2018 ambulance with a power lift.
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Women do this here.
Our Rescue 80 officer and our association secretary are women. The crew is your town, not a type. needs the client: confirm
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Your neighbors call. You answer.
Fire, car crashes, medical calls, CPR classes in the hall, blood drives, the car wash. Every one of them is Flanders.
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The state pays you back for school.
After a year of service, New Jersey's Volunteer Tuition Credit Program covers up to $2,400 a year at a county college or vocational school, for you, your spouse or your kids.
The gear
Tower 96. You will learn every inch of it.
A 2021 Pierce Enforcer mid-mount platform. Every number below is from the department's own apparatus page.
- 1100-foot ladder with negative-grade reach. The bucket can work below ground level for rescues, and thread between buildings to place the master stream.
- 22,000 GPM pump. Two thousand gallons a minute. You will learn to run it.
- 3300-gallon onboard tank. Enough to open up before the supply line is laid.
- 4Mid-mount turntable. The ladder pivots from behind the cab, not the tail, which is why a 100-foot truck can set up on a tight Flanders street.
- 5Outriggers. Four jacks level the truck before the ladder moves an inch. Setting them is one of the first things you learn.
Also in the bay: Rescue 97 (2015 E-One, 1,500 GPM, Hurst Jaws of Life), Engine 95 (2006 E-One, 2,000 GPM, over 1,800 feet of large-diameter hose) and Ambulance 88 (2018 Road Rescue, Stryker Power-Lift, LUCAS CPR device).
- 1923Founded, in a member's barn
- 100Years of service, marked in 2023
- 100 ftTower 96 ladder reach
- 2,000 GPMPump on Tower 96 and Engine 95
Ways to join
Pick the seat. We will show you the ask.
Five positions on the application, check all that apply. The schedule below is the real one, straight from the member application.
The ask forFirefighter
- Drills, all other Thursdays7:30 to 9:30 pm
- Association meeting, first Thursday7:30 to 9:30 pm
- Weekend trainingOptional
- Fire Fighter I course, within year oneTuition paid
- Road drive fundraiserAbout 3 shifts a year
- Committee workAbout 20 hours a year
Application fee$50, refunded when you reach Active
Every applicant takes a drug test and a police background check. Six-month probation, then promotion to Active. You train before you respond.
Not sure which seat? , or come to any Thursday drill and watch.
Is this you
Every one of these people has a seat.
Yes, women do this
The gear fits. The crew is waiting. The seat is yours.
Every helmet in these photos says Flanders. Our Rescue 80 officer and our association secretary are women. needs the client: confirm Firefighter, EMT, junior, support staff: every position on the application is open to you, and the Thursday drill is the same drill for everyone.
Show me the ask"Quote needed. One line from a woman member: why she joined, or what surprised her."
What a year looks like
Four moments you only get from the inside.
Thursday night, compared
Two hours a week. Here is what each one buys.
| Flanders Fire Co. #1 | A gym membership | The couch | |
|---|---|---|---|
| What it costs you | $50, refunded at Active | Monthly dues | Nothing, and it shows |
| Skills you walk away with | Fire Fighter I or EMT, state certified | A better deadlift | The plot of season four |
| Who else benefits | Everyone in Flanders who dials 911 | You | Nobody |
| College money | Up to $2,400 a year, state tuition credit | No | No |
| A 100-foot ladder | Yes | No | No |
From the members
Why they stayed.
needs the client: three real member quotes replace the cards below
"Quote needed. What surprised me in the first year."
"Quote needed. A call I will not forget."
The $50 comes back. The training is paid for. The first six months are a trial, for both of us.
Probation is six months. If it is not for you, you walk away with new skills and no bill. If it is, you are promoted to Active and your application fee is refunded.
Since 1923
It started in a barn.
Founded in a member's barn in 1923, our 100% volunteer department celebrated a century of dedicated service in 2023. Today we run a 2021 tower, a rescue engine, a pumper and an ambulance out of 27 Main Street, and we still answer to the same thing we did then: the people who live here.
Flanders Fire Co. #1 and Rescue Squad, Mount Olive Township, New Jersey
Questions
The things people ask before they email.
"On the truck"? Come on. I have zero experience. Am I really going to ride to a fire?
Not on your first night, and nobody should promise you that. Here is the real path. You apply, pass a background check and drug test, and start as a probationary member. You drill with the crew every Thursday. Within your first year you enroll in Fire Fighter I, tuition paid by the company. After six months of meeting the attendance standard you are promoted to Active. Then yes, when the tone drops, you ride.
How much time is it, honestly?
The fixed part is Thursday nights, 7:30 to 9:30 pm: three drills and one association meeting a month. Weekend training exists and is optional. If you join EMS, add one weeknight shift (7 pm to 5 am, Fridays until 7 am) and one weekend day every four weeks (7 am to 7 pm). Everyone pitches in on about three fundraiser shifts a year and roughly 20 hours of committee work. Calls are on top, and you respond when you can.
I am not in great shape. Does that rule me out?
The application says it plainly: "Minimum physical/mental capabilities required for certain positions." Firefighting is physical and the Fire Fighter I course has a fitness component. EMS is less so. Support staff has none. Tell us where you are and we will tell you which seat fits today.
I am under 18.
There is a Junior position on the application. What a junior can and cannot do is set by the by-laws and your parents, and we would rather explain it in person than on a web page. Email membership@flandersfire.org with your age and we will walk you through it.
I live in Flanders but work 40 minutes away.
Drills and meetings are at night for exactly that reason. EMS shifts are nights and weekends. If your employer will release you to respond during the day, there is a one-page release form in the application. If not, you still make the night and weekend calls, which is most of them.
What does it cost?
A $50 application fee, refunded when you reach Active status. Fire Fighter I, EMT and EMR tuition is paid by the Fire Company. After one year of service you can also claim New Jersey's Volunteer Tuition Credit, up to $2,400 a year toward a county college or vocational school, for yourself, a spouse or a dependent child, with a four-year service pledge.
Can I do EMS only, no fire?
Yes. Emergency Medical Services is its own box on the application. You train toward EMT or EMR instead of Fire Fighter I, ride Ambulance 88, and skip the fire side entirely if you want to.
Thursday, 7:30 pm
The truck leaves with or without you.
Come to one drill and decide.
100% volunteerSince 192327 Main Street, Flanders