Glendale Fire Department Crisis Response

The Crisis Response Team is made up of dedicated volunteers trained by the Glendale Fire Department to assist firefighters, police officers and the citizens of the West Valley during 911 calls. They specialize in being compassionate and professional during a time of need to those experiencing a crisis. Their main job is to provide immediate crisis intervention and referrals to victims, families and witnesses after a traumatic event, as well as to guide citizens in the right direction after the event.

Crisis Response teams "live" at a fire station for the duration of their shift. A shift consists of six, 12 or 24 hours. During the shift, a team could respond to a multitude of calls, ranging from a code, house fire, car accident, to a drowning, suicide or homicide.

CR trains all new volunteers about crisis intervention as well as other topics after they have been accepted into the program.

To get the process of becoming a volunteer started, every person who is interested must complete a "purple card", which is a background check. After the background check is done, a ride with one of the CR crews is scheduled so the applicant can see exactly what a CR crew does during their shift. If the applicants feels that CR would be a good fit and is able to make the 24 hour a month commitment an interview is scheduled. Once accepted, new volunteers will go to training and start their shifts.