STAFFING:

Polk County Fire District No.1 has four fire stations. Volunteers staff three of these stations completely. Station 40 is located in Buena Vista and has been closed for several years but will reopen soon. Station 80 is located in Airlie, Station 70 in Pedee, and Station 90, (the Central Station) in Independence. The District also has Support, Special Services, and EMS only Volunteers.

Station 90 is the only station in the District that is staffed 24/7 with three shifts. Each shift is comprised of a Captain/Paramedic, and two Firefighter/Paramedics on duty for 24 hours a day. There are two additional Firefighter/Paramedics who rotate shifts from 7:00 am to 7:00 pm six days a week and work for 24 hours on Wednesdays. Not only are there career personnel and home responding volunteers at Station 90, but there are also Resident Volunteers who are students pursuing carrers in fire and EMS and are assigned rotating schedules when they’re not in class. The administrative office is also housed in Station 90.

The District has three full-time Chief Officers, the Fire Chief, a Deputy Chief of operations and training, and a Division Chief of EMS and logistics. A Volunteer Division Chief is in charge of the Volunteers. The District has an Office Administrator and an Office Assistant.