The U.S. Census Bureau reported that there were 226,542,199 people living in America in 1980. By 1983, the population was growing, and there were an estimated 884,600 volunteer firefighters serving communities nationwide. By 1989, the number of volunteer firefighters had dropped to just more 770,000. Because about 75% of U.S. fire departments are staffed by volunteers and the U.S. population was approaching 250 million, the declining number of volunteer firefighters was becoming a threat to the safety of the American populous.

In the early 1990s, the U.S. Fire Administration and the Federal Emergency Management Agency began a project to study volunteer firefighter recruitment and retention. The agencies contracted TriData Corp., Virginia-based consultants, to lead this project. From 1994 through 1996, TriData invited more than 100 volunteer fire chiefs and others to participate in nine regional workshops. They were asked to identify best practices and to suggest solutions to reverse the trend of volunteer firefighters' declining numbers.

Also in 1994, a group of volunteer fire service leaders formed the Volunteer Chief Officers Section (now the Volunteer and Combination Officers Section) of the International Association of Fire Chiefs. The VCOS would be the volunteer voice of the IAFC at a national level, create educational programs and provide a way for members to share ideas with others.

TriData released its conclusions in 1998, but the question of what to do with the findings remained. “The TriData report provided significant national insight into the plight of the departments with all volunteer staffing,” says John M. Buckman III. Buckman, fire chief in German Township, Ind., and a VCOS co-founder. He proposed an outreach program be created to address TriData's findings, and that year VCOS launched the 21st Century Leadership and Administration in a Volunteer Organization project. “The original report from TriData played a significant role in the development of the course material.”

The VCOS outreach program would look at:

• The direct and indirect impact effective and ineffective leadership has on retaining volunteers.
• The influence changing demographics within a community has on the delivery of fire and emergency medical services by volunteer staffs.
• Tools to assist with recruiting volunteers.
• The importance of marketing a fire department has upon community support and how to ensure the delivery of a high level of customer service.

Nine VCOS leaders, including Buckman, served as subject-matter experts to develop the course. Additional course materials came from feedback received at the first national conference on Volunteer Leadership and Administration. The USFA and the National Emergency Training Center provided technical support for the course development and supporting documents. The course development team captured additional research from various sources. The end result would be a combination of lectures, student interaction through group exercises, and audio and visual supporting materials. While it seems peculiar by today's standards, the course also would use a revolutionary presentation method — PowerPoint.

With the course development in place, the remaining obstacle would be funding. The VCOS approached Pierce Manufacturing about underwriting a portion of the costs associated with course delivery. Pierce pledged $100 for each truck sold to volunteer or combination departments to help fund the course. To date, the company has contributed more than $500,000 to help offset instructor travel and other related costs.

The first 21st Century Leadership and Administration in a Volunteer Organization was presented in 1999 at the NETC in Emmitsburg, Md.

“This awesome partnership with Pierce benefits many fire service leaders,” says Timothy Wall, fire chief of the North Farms District (Conn.) Fire Department and VCOS chairman. “It provides an opportunity that many fire departments can not do from lack of finances.”

At the beginning of each course, the instructor asks the students about the biggest challenges they face in their departments. This allows the students to select specific course modules based on their local issues. For example, in some locations training for proficiency or intradepartment communications may not be an issue. Those students would be offered a cursory review rather than an in-depth discussion on that topic.

Although the geographic locations, demographics and department make-ups differ, the issues faced by volunteer and combination fire officers remain fairly consistent. These are strategic leadership, recruiting volunteers, retaining existing staffs, effective training programs, marketing, customer service, managing daily tasks, leading change, communications, problem-solving, team-building and shifting from a 100% volunteer to a combination department.

In 2005, a review of the course content was conducted. The review took into account feedback received from students and instructors to ensure that the content was fresh and contemporary. Many of the modules were revised, several modules were dropped and replaced with new modules. For example, incident command, alternative funding and several other original modules were dropped. Team-building, communications and problem-solving modules were added. All of the other modules were reviewed for content and continuity. To reflect the updated and new materials, the course was renamed “Beyond Hoses and Helmets — Strategy and Tactics of Leading a Volunteer or Combination Fire/Rescue Organization.”

The course is offered in eight-, 12- or 16-hour sessions. The VCOS provides up to two instructors per course, many helped develop the original or revised instructional materials. In 2008, the course was presented in 24 locations across the United States and Canada to more than 1,000 students.

The direct results the course has had on the volunteer fire service are difficult to quantify. One of the most significant impacts has been for the instructors. They often learn of new ideas or methodologies in one part of the country that they can share at other locations.

“As an instructor, the sessions reground me as to what we have within our organization compared to others who are less fortunate,” says Jim Grady, VCOS instructor and chief of the Frankfort (Ill.) Fire District. “Sharing the stage with another instructor delivering the programs makes for great debate, great challenges and a common voice for VCOS.”

Fellow instructor Eddie Buchanan, division chief of the Hanover (Va.) Fire and EMS and president of the International Society of Fire Service Instructors, says one way he measures success is by what the students know when they come to class.

“So many times we ask questions about what type of awareness the participants have in major national fire service initiatives,” Buchanan says. “Typically, there are a few that have national awareness, but most do not. This tells me that we're getting to audience we need to. We get to bring major topics like the FIRE Grants program and Everyone Goes Home initiatives, in addition to great leadership training, to a fresh audience that needs the information. It's a very rewarding program as an instructor because I believe we're making a difference where it really counts.”

The feedback received from students in “Beyond Hoses and Helmets” was instrumental in creating four VCOS reports released in 2004, 2005, 2006 and this year. Some of the best practices learned from students were included in these reports.

To maximize the number of courses that can be presented annually, the local host agency must share in some of the expenses. That agency is obligated to provide course marketing, ground transportation to and from the airport, lodging, meals, and incidentals for the instructors. In addition, the host furnishes the classroom and audio/visual equipment. Break service and lunch are also the responsibility of the local agency. In some cases, the host department will recoup its costs via a student registration fee, a partnership with a county or a regional service association, or grants.

To keep the cost versus benefit equation toward the high end, there is a 30-student minimum for a course. With airline travel restrictions, the student minimum should be in place 25 days from the scheduled course date. One of the common missteps that host departments make is underestimating the need to begin course marketing early enough and to reach out to a broad region to fill the course. Each year, several courses are cancelled because the minimum student count was not reached.

Several host organizations have paid the entire cost of bringing a course to their location. This option only requires coordination between the host and the available instructor, and the minimum-student requirement is waived.

Courses have been held in conjunction with state association conferences but are more typically held at smaller suburban and rural locations. A one- to two-hour drive from a major or regional airport is common. Most courses are offered on weekends when volunteer fire officers are most likely to be available.

Courses work best when there are three or four students per department, rather than having an entire department in attendance. Instructors report that 40 to 60 students is an optimum class size. This allows for the instructor and students to interact, as well as for the students to exchange ideas.

There has been talk of building a “Beyond Hoses and Helmets II.” The suggested modules include strategic planning, risk management, comprehensive finances and budgets, firefighter health and safety, organizational dynamics, understanding generational differences, and organizational dynamics.

There are several challenges associated with new or additional courses. Funding is always in the forefront. Timing is another; there are only so many weekends during the year. Nevertheless, the VCOS board will review this matter next year.

Greg Render began his career with the Signal Hill (Ill.) Fire Department in 1971 and became its chief in 1992. He holds associate's degrees in fire science and aviation maintenance, a bachelor's degree in organizational leadership, and graduated from the National Fire Academy's Executive Fire Officer program. He has served as president of the Illinois Fire Chiefs Association and chairman of the Gateway Hazardous Materials Emergency Response Network. He is a lead instructor for the International Association of Fire Chiefs' Volunteer and Combination Officers Section's Beyond Hoses and Helmets Leadership course.

Frankfort (Ill.) Fire Protection District Chief and VCOS Instructor James Grady III contributed to this article.

Original Subject-Matter Specialists

Robert Bettenhausen, Tinely Park, Ill.

Mike Chiaramonte, Lynbrook (N.Y.) Fire Department

Larry Curl, Hilmon (Ind.) Volunteer Firefighters

Rick Haase, Staunton (Ill.) Fire Department

Pete McMahon, Grand Island (N.Y.) Fire Department

Fred Windisch, Ponderosa (Texas) Fire Department

John Buckman, German Township (Ind.) Fire Department

Neal Good, Bellingham, Wash.

Steve Ennis, National Volunteer Fire Council State Director

For More Info

To inquire about hosting Beyond Hoses and Helmets, visit www.VCOS.org and click on the Leadership Course icon, or contact Joelle Fishkin at 703-273-9815, ext. 343.