By Jim MacKay
The problem of declining volunteer ranks is a complex and multi-facetted issue. However, I believe the major issues can be broken down into three areas: certification and training requirements, bureaucracy, and restrictive economic conditions. As a frontline crew member, certified firefighter and volunteer firefighter I would like to share some of what I have encountered in regards to these three areas.
Certification and training. In the past — and at the heart of volunteerism — many community members simply showed up to the station and signed on as a volunteer. When the call went out, they jumped in their vehicles and either raced to the station to join an engine company or drove directly to the scene. Training on the fundamentals of firefighting was taught at the station on average every other week. Certified volunteer firefighters were the exception, especially in the most rural areas of the country. Volunteers holding Medical First Responder certifications were uncommon and volunteer firefighters holding an EMT rating were rare. (Note: For the purpose of this discussion I am not including full-time paid/professional firefighters who “volunteer” outside of scheduled duty or who are volunteers at other departments in addition to their full-time firefighter position. This discussion is centered on the true civilian volunteer firefighter.)
Fast-forward to today’s volunteer organization and the landscape is quite different. Certifications are mandatory (and very rightfully so), and proficiency training is generally held once per week. The days of “just signing up” are gone, and with it a large number of individuals who cannot or will not commit to the certification requirements needed to be a safe and effective member of the Volunteer force. This may sound harsh but I have talked to and listened to many, many volunteer firefighters young and old and this theme prevails.
During the massive Central Texas Wildfires that burned 35,000 acres and destroyed some 1,600 homes I, like so many other true “volunteers," left my family and headed to the fight. I saw scores of individuals turned away — why? Because they did not have the training, the certifications nor the proper personal protective equipment required to be on the fireground. Would these brave and honorable men and women have been turned away 20, 15 or even 10 years ago? But the fact is without the proper training and equipment the likelihood that some of these volunteers would have been either injured or killed was very high. To be turned away was absolutely the right call.
Bureaucracy. With mutual aid and automatic aid essentially the norm today, many volunteer firefighters simply are lost in the endless labyrinth of organizations. County, regional and state fire chiefs’ associations; various emergency-services districts; and county emergency management agencies all trying to coordinate essentially the same thing contribute to the growing frustration of many volunteer firefighters. In the Central Texas Fires mentioned earlier, a fire chief issued a stern mandate prohibiting his volunteers or off-duty paid firefighters from going to the fire to volunteer. While a plausible argument can be made that this chief was acting in the best interest of his community by ensuring adequate staffing, the chief also indicated in the media that he would “consider a request for assistance made through the proper agencies." I know personally two volunteer firefighters who either withdrew their application or decided against applying to that department.
Restrictive economic conditions. There are actually two sides of this issue. The more obvious side is that tough economic times are placing a strain on the volunteer’s finances and thus his/her ability to respond. Some families may have lost some or all of their income or the volunteer may be working longer hours or more than one job to keep the family safe and warm.
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Another, less obvious, issue is one of budget cuts by the departments themselves. In candid discussions with paid career firefighters it was suggested that as paid firefighters are cut the void may potentially be filled by volunteers. This has caused, in some cases, an “us vs. them” attitude with volunteers growing disenchanted with the climate at the station and simply walking away.
Solutions? This truly is a complex issue made even more so by varying rules and regulations at the city, county, state and national levels. NIMS and the ICS go a long way toward providing a comprehensive and cohesive set of guidelines and provide a very solid foundation from which to address the remaining issues. My opinion is that there needs to be a shift in perception of what it takes to be a volunteer firefighter, course work in basic firefighting principals, ICS and NIMS available in high-school curricula, and an active outreach program aimed at recruiting from our high schools the next generation of true American heroes. Assistance in the form of tax credits for personal protective equipment, training and expenses associated with and attributable to being a volunteer firefighter are another way we can shore up our volunteer numbers. And as for the bureaucracy, let’s find ways to make it easier, not harder, for men and women to serve their communities as a Volunteer Firefighter.
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You may agree with some, all or none of this, and that is a good thing. With frank, honest and open dialogue we may very well be able to solve this issue. Please consider adding your thoughts, opinions and experiences, and in a manner commensurate with our great profession.
