Three members had just finished restocking an ambulance and one more was entering inventory data into the computer on a Saturday afternoon at a local volunteer fire station when they began discussing how much additional time is spent at the station doing tasks rather than fighting fires, going on EMS calls or training.

One of the members said, “When you think about it, considering all the time we ask of our volunteers involving these non-fire or EMS-type of tasks, it's no wonder why we have a recruitment and a retention problem.” They concluded that they needed help with the station tasks but did not know where to go to get it; they were still of the mindset that one needed to be a firefighter or an EMT to do those tasks.

Frankly, I thought the same thing until I saw an ad in an airline magazine that asked for employees. The airline listed all the jobs that were available from pilots to crew schedulers, including information and technology professionals, staff accountants, mechanics, customer service reps and so on. The question that came to mind was, does one need to be a pilot to do those other jobs? Obviously not. So why does the fire department insist that one needs to be a firefighter and/or an EMT for equipment inventory and restocking, budget and financial duties, fund-raising and so on? Why do we only recruit citizens to be firefighters and EMTs? Why are we not reaching out to the community to help us in performing non-fire and -EMS roles?

This concept would help us defeat our biggest enemy: time. We simply don't have the time to do all those tasks that are required of us and still keep up with training mandates and standards. While training standards and mandates were put in place to keep us safe and make us better at our craft, we still have to run a fire department day to day. Our members are getting tired, and we are getting less and less enjoyment out of our jobs. Our families are — rightfully so — demanding more and more time of us. Society in general has changed, and our jobs are taking more of our time. We need help.

The good news is that there is help out there, if we open the station doors and allow it to come in. That help is in the form of a national organization called Citizen Corps. The federal government appropriates millions of dollars each year to promote volunteerism, and Citizen Corps is one of the groups that the money supports. The Citizen Corps mission is “To harness the power of every individual through education, training and volunteer service to make communities safer, stronger, and better prepared to respond to the threats of terrorism, crime, public health issues and disasters of all kinds.” Citizen Corps wishes to engage individuals in volunteer activities that support first responders. It's the philosophy of Citizen Corps that everyone can do something to support local law enforcement, fire and EMS.

Fire, rescue and emergency medical services for the most part do not know anything about this valuable asset. It's not surprising, however, that the police know all about it. They have a Citizen Corps program entitled Volunteers in Police Service that has 588 programs in 50 states and some U. S. territories. VIPS provides support for police departments with limited resources by incorporating community volunteers to give law enforcement professionals more time for front-line duty.

Citizen Corps programs can free firefighters of time-consuming non-fire or -EMS related tasks so that they, too, can have more time to train and be ready for front-line duty as well. Wayne Powell, branch chief of citizen and community preparedness of the U.S. Fire Administration, stated, “Fire departments of all sizes can utilize the Citizen Corps. Fire Administrator [R. David] Paulison wants the fire community to position themselves, both locally as well as at the national level, to be able to take full advantage of the federal volunteer funds.” He went on to say, “When you think about it, engaging Americans via the Citizen Corps Initiative is actually the same as fire departments supporting ‘Citizen CPR.’ One of the greatest surprises to all of us was that fire departments have so much flexibility that it's been almost embarrassing to realize that we've not made more active use of these simple and easy-to-access resources.”

Members of your community organized under the umbrella of Citizen Corps can perform many ongoing tasks, including fire prevention education, fire inspections, public relations, recruitment, Web site and software development, record-keeping and officer support services, and fund-raising. They could assist with mitigation measures like removing wildland vegetation near structures or identifying unknown hazards, work as foreign language translators, serve in the department's auxiliary, coordinate youth programs and mentoring, and even administrate the department's Citizen Corps program. The tasks are limited only by imagination of your department.

Cee Cee Molineaux, emergency management/homeland security coordinator for the Corporation for National and Community Service, said, “We need to educate fire departments about the benefits of using Citizen Corps volunteers, using VIPS as an example and reassuring them that these volunteers are not interested in fighting fires and that the time commitment of the fire chief will be minimal.” Molineaux also addressed the cost of the program: “There is no cost in using Citizen Corps volunteers other than training costs, background checks and equipment, as well as recognition, but that is up to the chief.”

It's important to note that Citizen Corps is not going to come into your department and tell you what they are going to do. As Molineaux mentioned, it's totally up to the chief to determine what tasks that department wants Citizen Corps volunteers to do. It's essential that a department does a detailed needs analysis listing all of the tasks involved in operating their department. Once this needs analysis is completed, a clear job description must be written with a detailed list of explicit expectations. This will ensure the success of the program. Citizen Corps regional directors will be on hand, at your request, to help you with this task. The progressiveness of your department will determine the size of the program and the speed of its implementation. The police department may be an excellent help in assisting you with the initial set-up of the program, especially in doing background checks of future participants.

It is also suggested that you discuss the implementation of this program with your department attorney and town council. All stakeholders should be involved in all stages of the program. Establishing meaningful tasks for the participants of the program will make them feel appreciated and welcome.

If a department is interested in the Citizen Corps concept, there is a national network of state, local and tribal Citizen Corps Councils that bring together leaders from law enforcement, fire, EMS and established volunteer organizations; local elected officials; the private sector; and other community stakeholders. These councils will tailor community activities to your department.

If you are someday at your station, doing one or more of the many non-fire or -EMS tasks, and you are away from your family and wishing you had more time to train and do the things that motivated you to join in the first place, think of Citizen Corps. Think of the tremendous community public relations that could be developed from such a program. Think about the buy-in these citizens would have in such issues as budget and the like. Most of all, think about the time Citizen Corps can save each and every member of your department. If you open the station doors to Citizen Corps, help can be on the way.

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Chief Mike Chiaramonte is a 35-year member of the Lynbrook (N.Y.) Fire Department and a past chief of the department. He's currently the chief fire inspector, where he's responsible for code enforcement and prevention education. Chiaramonte was a past chairman and board member of the IAFC Volunteer and Combination Officers Section Board and New York State Director to the IAFC Eastern Division. He's also a National Fire Academy Instructor and an advisor to the National Fallen Firefighters Foundation. Chiaramonte is a state EMT-CC and an instructor at the Nassau County EMS Academy. He has as a bachelor's degree from the University of Houston and a master's degree from Hofstra University, both in communications education.

For further information

Listed below are points-of-contact information and Web sites that will supply vital information about Citizen Corps and how it can be implemented in your department.

Elizabeth DiGregorio
White House Liaison for Citizen Corps
FEMA/U.S. Department of Homeland Security
500 C St. S.W.
Washington, D.C. 20472

Cee Cee Molineaux
Emergency Management/Homeland Security Coordinator
Corporation for National and Community Service
1201 New York Ave. N.W.
Washington, D.C. 20525

R. Wayne Powell
Branch Chief, Citizen and Community Preparedness
U.S. Fire Administration
G Building, 16825 S. Seton Ave.
Emmitsburg, Md. 21727

Web sites

Citizen Corps, www.citizencorps.gov

Citizen Corps affiliates, www.citizencorps.gov/programs/affiliate.shtm