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Our Fire Police Unit currently consists of a Fire Police Captain and four Fire Police Officers. Fire Police are sworn personnel who have been duly nominated and sworn in by a District Magistrate in accordance with Pennsylvania State Fire Police Law. Our duties vary based on the incident, but generally include the three primary duties of scene safety, traffic control, and crowd control. Safety is our number one priority. As such is it our job to ensure that all emergency responders are protected from vehicular and pedestrian traffic, and that the water supply is not run over by vehicular traffic or otherwise damaged or interrupted. We also need to secure staging areas for the incoming emergency apparatus and personnel, as well as keeping the general public at a safe distance to prevent them from being injured from incoming apparatus, traffic, and other scene hazards (explosions, etc). In doing so, we often have to provide traffic control at and/or around an emergency incident, such as an accident scene, to safely guide motorists around the emergency scene as quickly and as safely as possible. We also provide assistance to the Police Department for other incidents such as vehicle accidents, power outages, severe weather emergencies (i.e. flooding), parades, etc. Although it may be convenient to get frustrated at a Fire Police Officer who is attempting to detour you from your normal route, it is imperative that you remember that we are attempting to ensure the safety of our Fire Dept and other Emergency Response personnel, as well as any victims of the incident, and of course, you as the motoring public. Seeing how we are sworn officers, it is unlawful to disobey the directions of a duly sworn Fire Police Officer, not to mention increases the risk to you and others in the area of the emergency scene. To become a Fire Police Officer in South Whitehall Township, an applicant must be over eighteen years of age and must pass a criminal background check. Prior to responding on any calls, they must attend and successfully pass State approved Haz-Mat Class, and the PA State Fire Academy’s approved Basic Fire Police Officer Class, which details the scope of duties and responsibilities of a Fire Police Officer. Only after successful completion of these requirements, can an individual be sworn in by the local District Magistrate as Fire Police Officer. In addition, there are other a variety of other classes available which go into much more detail as to the duties and responsibility of a Fire Police Officer in a wide variety of situations and settings. These courses are all approved by the Pennsylvania State Fire Academy and taught by certified instructors. They include: Advanced Fire Police Operations, Emergency Response for Fire Police, Non-Emergency Response for Fire Police, Communications, Legal Concepts for Fire Police, Highway Incident Scene Safety & Traffic Control, and others. If you or someone you know is interested in finding out more about becoming a Fire Police Officer, please feel free to either contact our webmaster on our “Contact Us” page, or to visit our Fire Department on a Monday evening at 7:00 pm and ask to speak with our Fire Police Captain or a Chief Officer for further details.
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