March 29, 2023

The Argonaut- The University of Idaho’s Student Paper

By: Ben DeWitt 

The Moscow Volunteer Fire Department offers a unique program for students who would like to support and help their community. The MVFD offers a student residency program with the fire stations around Moscow. The program offers free housing in the fire stations and on-duty training, as well as Driver and Operator training. Student residents make up around 25% of MVFD volunteers. 

Throughout the 2023-2024 academic year, residents receive around 300-400 hours of training and experience in on-duty shifts as a firefighter or EMT .. Student residents take on the role of “rookies” and get crucial hands-on experience, including live-burn training later in the program. The program starts in August, with beginner fire training starting in late July.  

Current student fire station resident Shelby Hobbs explained how the program can help advance careers and give students great experience.   

“If firefighting is a career you would like to go into, this program sets you up with experience, and helps you get your foot in the door,” Hobbs said. 

Any students that are interested must be at least 18 years old, graduated high school, be enrolled in 12 credits, have a 2.5 GPA, pass a criminal background check and pass a physical fitness test. Though the application deadline has passed for this year, interested students can apply for residency next spring. Even though residency spots are full for the year, students can still sign up to be volunteers or receive fire/EMT training.

If any students are interested in the program, they can call EMS coordinator Pam Rogers at (208)-883-7163.  

The Moscow Volunteer Fire Department is over 125 years old and has over 100 volunteers that operate in the community, with many of those volunteers being UI students. The MVFD provides fire and EMS services to the city of Moscow, the rural fire district, and support all over Latah County. 

EMS coordinator Pam Rogers described the experience of working at the MVFD and how their team works together. 

“Everyone in our agency has a passion and a heart for service and it’s amazing to be on a team where everyone is feeling that as well,” Rogers said. 

The MVFD responds to many EMS and Fire calls throughout the year. On average, the MVFD answers around 2800-3000 fire and medical emergencies every year.  

Shelby Hobbs highly recommends volunteering for the MVFD and she loves supporting her community.  

“The best part about being a firefighter is knowing that you can support your community,” Hobbs said. “Knowing that you can be there for someone on the worst day of their life and give them the help and support they need is a great feeling.” 

Ben Dewitt can be reached at [email protected]