Deaf volunteering in the community (local fire dept, etc etc)

[Liza]

Can Deaf people volunteer in the community.. like helping out the local fire dept if they need emergency help? It'd be just doing stuff like carrying air tanks and holding the hose, etc, etc. That's what my hearing friend does as a fire dept volunteer. I'd like to know if anyone does this, too.

 

[Kaitin]

I volunteered at the Humane Society - walked dogs, played with dogs, pet cats etc. I volunteered at a hospital delivering flowers to patients. And volunteered at the Salvation Army - ringing Christmas bells for donations, making baskets for THanksgiving meals. The Christmas bells were annoying to all.

I don't know why you couldn't volunteer at the Fire Department.

 

[kimpossible]

I don't know about a fire department... but I've volunteered at a summer day camp, chasing after kids and whatnot, playing games with them, helping supervise on field trips, basic first aid (in a licensed childcare center, though, ie. with paid staff and the volunteers were just an extra eye). You should ask the fire department. or ask your friend to ask the fire department...

 

[cdmeggers]

I'm sure you can volunteer for anything. Just let them know about your deafness and of what you CAN and CANNOT do.

Here where I live, some members of the local deaf community are CERT members. CERT = Community Emergency Response Team, where a bunch of people volunteer their time to help out when there's a disaster going on (fires, tornadoes, earthquakes, etc.). To become a CERT, you attend the training clang sses to learn how to put out a fire with an extinguisher, first aid, what to do in this or that situation, if it's safe to go into a building or not, etc. As a matter of fact, the CERT Chiefs actually took the time to set up a class time ONLY for the deaf that were interested in becoming CERTs, and they hired 2 interpreters, and it was pretty fun. And they have gone far and beyond to accommodate the deaf CERTs by providing vibrating weather pagers (only the deaf CERTs have weather pagers I think...), and have invited someone from the fire station to a class to talk about the free alarm systems they have for the deaf, etc. They send out emails regularly to inform members of upcoming training sessions or classes, or events in which we can help out at like the Breast Cancer Walk for the Cure and the Air Shows (crowd patrol, helping people if a medical issue comes up, that sort of thing).

Definitely check out your local agencies and see what kind of volunteering opportunities they provide. They can't deny you from volunteering just because you are deaf; that'd be discrimination. We may not be able to use a phone or the walkie talkies (or anything that highly depends on hearing), but we are perfectly capable to do anything and everything else.