CCFR firefighters are on-duty 24-hours a day, seven days a week, always ready to respond to a call, even when they are at the grocery store.
Each crew of firefighters stays together throughout their entire 48-hour shift to ensure they can respond to an emergency, with the proper equipment, from any location within minutes. This is why you may have seen firefighters leaving their carts and running out of grocery stores. When they receive a call, they leave immediately and come back later to finish their grocery shopping.
There are also benefits to our crews eating and preparing meals together. A 2015 Cornell University study found that “Firefighter platoons who eat meals together have better group job performance compared with firefighter teams who dine solo.”
Because of the importance of building this camaraderie we require our crews to eat at least two meals per shift together. This gives the firefighters an opportunity to discuss the calls they have run, share emotions and build bonds that directly correlate to effective teamwork in an emergency situation.
Being out in the community also gives us a chance to meet with residents and get to know the people in our neighborhoods, which makes us better first responders. If you see us out and about stop and say hi. We’re always happy to answer questions, give kids a chance to see the fire truck up close or hear what’s happening around town.
Have other questions about CCFR or the fire service? Let us know by sending us a message on Facebook @CentralCountyFire or emailing Garyd@ccfrmail.org.