Fire Police must take an oath of office, be sworn in by a Judge or Justice of the Peace and be registered with their Townships. To accomplish all of this, they must complete and be certified in the Fire Police operations by their county and / or state.
The main function of a Fire Police Squad within the Fire Department is to maintain the protection and safety of department personnel and vehicles while at an emergency scene. These Fire Police Officers protect the emergency personnel and also protect their vehicles and equipment from acts of harm, theft, and malicious damage. Some examples of this include arsonists who will try to damage equipment to prevent a fire from being put out, victims that may become emotionally unstable, relatives/friends who may become enraged and attack emergency people and spectators who crowd around and prevent work from being done effectively, or prevent valuable equipment from reaching a scene, and hamper the operations in general.
Fire Police will try to control the actions of a crowd, and keep them at a distance for everyone's safety. Who knows what hidden danger lies at the scene: explosions, toxic fumes and deadly chemicals which may be unseen and undetected, and many other unstable elements too numerous to mention.
Fire Police will control the flow of traffic to ensure emergency vehicles have a quick, safe enterance and egress to the incident. They may halt traffic, block a road off or detour you in another direction, because of the situation and the dangers involved. They must retain space for Mutual Aid equipment, Emergency Vehicles, and tank trucks that may be needed to relay water to the scene.
Fire Police protect the victims, their valuables and property and preserve evidence at a scene. If a victim needs medical attention they will keep the spectators at a distance to show respect of the patients modesty and privacy at such time of pain and agony.
Fire Police are there to offer everyone the same treatment and respect as if it was you that were involved. So please, heed their orders, they are there for a reason and know what they are doing. They play an essential part in the saving of lives and prevention of further fire destruction.
Remember, when nessesary Fire Police have limited legal police authority granted by the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
