Mission Statement

The Hawesville Volunteer Fire Department, an all volunteer organization, is formed to provide a service to the citizens of Hawesville and Hancock County and has identified the following as its mission:

The duty of the Hawesville Volunteer Fire Department is first and foremost to protect lives and then the protection of property. When sufficient, qualified and trained personnel are available to accomplish an operation or response; and equipment is available; and the operation or response can be conducted in a safe manner the department will:

Take a primary (lead) role in the following:

1) Fire prevention and education programs to be presented to the citizens of Hawesville and Hancock County.

2) Develop and maintain a a public relations program for fire service related activities.

3) Develop, plan, and participate in fund raising programs to carry out the mission of the Hawesville Volunteer Fire Department as identified in this mission statement.

4) Respond, suppress, and determine an origin and cause when possible at fires to include but not limited to: structure, grass (brush), and vehicle fires when notified and when sufficient trained and equipped personnel are available to operate in a safe manner.

5) Respond and protect exposure to fire when possible at the scene of vehicle accidents when notified.

6) Respond to Hazardous Materials incident in the role of Awareness Level identified in OSHA 1910.120 when requested and maintain same role until operational control is turned over to responsible authority; and then operate at the level of training and equipment. The inherent danger of a hazardous material response may require a decision that an offensive operation may place persons and property in danger and that a defensive role may be required by responders until the situation changes to a less serious threat to persons and or property.

7) Respond as a First Responder for medical purposes.

Assist but not take the primary role in the following:

1a) Mutual Aid with Hancock County agencies: When the response is not in our jurisdictional area upon request or Hancock County Standard Operating Procedures.

1b) Mutual Aid with out of County agencies: Upon request and evaluation ability of the Department to respond to adjacent Counties while maintaining protection to Hawesville and Hancock County and an understanding that department may be required to leave to respond in Hancock County.

2) Respond with lead agencies during the occurrence of Natural Disasters, severe weather warning dissemination, and evacuations when notified.

3) Respond and support Industrial Fire Brigades when requested.

4) Support fire investigations when our department has responded and has origin and cause information.

5) Traffic control on a public roadway for the protection of firefighters or only as directed by a law enforcement official.

The department shall not:

1) Endorse political candidates.

2) Collect evidence unless in the support of an investigation of fire when our department has responded as the primary agency.

3) Conduct building and fure extinguisher inspections.

4) Clean chimneys.

5) Lend suppression equipment thus making equipment unavailable for response.

6) Perform rescue involving: vehicle extrication, rope rescue, or other rescue which the department is not equipped and trained.

7) Monitor controlled burns without previous approval of the department at a regualar business meeting.

8) Engage any other activities that the department is not trained, equipped, and manpower not available.

Upon adoption, this Mission Statement will be distributed to Emergency Service agencies of Hawesville and Hancock County for the purpose of understanding the roles, responsibilities, and Mission of the Hawesville Volunteer Fire Department.

Revised on this 3rd day of December 1998.