Good Will Fire Company

Membership

The Good Will Fire Company is always looking for volunteers!!

Why Join Good Will?

You will be joining a company with over 175 years of proud tradition in the fire service protecting and serving the communities of West Chester Borough, West Goshen Township, Westtown Township, Birmingham Township, East Bradford Township, and the entire township of Thornbury in Chester County.

Getting involved and helping your community is a great feeling!
You can be as young as 14 to join the Good Will!

Membership Types

Firefighter	Apprentice Firefighter	Junior Firefighter
Interior qualified firefighter	Anyone over 18 who is not interior qualified	Ages 16 & 17
Cadet Firefighter	Social Member	Fire Police
Ages 14 & 15	Active Contributing

Membership Application

MUST be filled out COMPLETELY:

1. Print Out The Application
2. If you are under 18 years of age you must also fill out the "Under 18 Parental Permission"
3. Minors Must Also Turn In Working Papers
4. Turn the paper(s) in at the next Monday night drill

GWFC-ApplicationPacket.pdf (Membership Application)
Under18ParentalPermission.doc (For Applicants under the age of 18 Application)

Note that if you need Beneficiary forms, please download the application packet. They are the last two forms in the pack.

Questions? Email us at: recruitment@goodwillfireco.org

Ranks and Descriptions

Some information below has been taken directly from the "West Chester Fire Department Standard Operating Guidelines Manual." Please consult the Manual for possible updates.

Firefighter

Firefighters are Interior qualified members of the Good Will.* Fireground duties may include entering a burning structure, assisting in rescue operations, performing salvage and ventilation operations, assisting in hydrant and hose hook-up, operating apparatus radios and any duties performed by an Apprentice Firefighter. See the following links for more information about becoming interior qualified.

Firefighter I (PA - Office of the State Fire Commissioner website)
Course listing (Dept. of Emergency Services Training website)

Apprentice Firefighter

Apprentice Firefighters are over the age of 18 but not interior qualified.* (Apprentice Firefighters are also known as Exterior Firefighters.) Apprentice Firefighters ride on fire apparatus and participate in various fire department operations but are limited in the duties they may perform on the fireground. These limitations include not being permitted to operate on a roof or ventilate the roof/windows of a fire stucture, ascend ladders, or operate foam lines, among other restrictions. However, Apprentice Firefighters can and do perform many necessary exterior tasks on the fireground including raising ladders, hooking up to hydrants, setting up lights and generators, and various other tasks.
In the West Chester Fire Department Apprentice Firefighters are identified by a WHITE stripe on their helmet.

Junior Firefighter

Junior Firefighters are 16 --17 year old members of the Good Will.* Like Apprentice Firefighters, Junior Firefighters ride on fire apparatus and participate in various fire department operations. And also like Apprentice Firefighters, Juniors are similarly limited to what duties they can perform on the fireground, but they may help perform many exterior duties vital in assisting other firefighters during department operations.
Junior firefighters may not leave or miss school due to a fire department operation. Additionally, they may NOT display a blue light on their personal vehicles.
In the West Chester Fire Department Junior Firefighters are identified by an ORANGE helmet.

Cadet Firefighter

Cadet Firefighters are 14 --15 year old members of the Good Will.* Cadets may perform the following duties (within the COLD zone of a fire scene): raising ladders, hooking up to hydrants, setting up lights and generators, and various other tasks.
Cadet Firefighters are prohibited from engaging in training and responding to calls during specific evening/night hours depending upon whether school is in session. Cadets must adhere to current PA State Child Labor Laws and the conditions of the Department’s guidelines and Fire Company House Rules regarding curfews. Cadets are NOT permitted to leave school to respond to incidents.
In the West Chester Fire Department Cadet Firefighters are identified by an ORANGE helmet and distinctive turnout gear.

Fire Police

Fire Police Members must be 18 years or older. As a member of the fire police your duty is to assist State Police, local Police and Fire Personnel with traffic assistance. Fire Police may either ride in Traffic 52 or drive their personal vehicle to the scene in which they are needed. Fire Police members are asked to follow the Pennsylvania State Vehicle Code when purchasing and displaying blue lights.

Social Member

Social Members participate in community events and are deeply relied upon for their work in fundraising activities. Social Members may organize and set up events either at the fire house or in the community. They have access to the fire house at any time and can participate in any activity except for actual fire fighting. Social members must be at least 18 years old.

Note - Good Will Firefighters (Including Apprentice, Junior, and Cadet) may not be a firefighter at any other fire company in the West Chester Fire Department. They can, however, be social members.