Declining volunteer FD ranks

[Guest]

Emergency call for fire brigades

In small towns, fewer citizens able or willing to fight blazes for free

 

By Dahleen Glanton

Tribune national correspondent

September 25, 2006

McLAURIN, Miss. -- After more than two centuries as one of America's favorite community service endeavors, the glory days of the volunteer firefighter are fading. Most people, particularly younger ones, now don't have the time or the inclination to put out fires for free anymore.

As a result, some volunteer fire departments that provide emergency and rescue services, respond to natural disasters and make public service calls in addition to fighting fires are dangling on the edge of extinction. And people in small communities that rely solely on volunteers, such as McLaurin, a town of about 900 families outside Hattiesburg, increasingly risk calling 911 and not getting help.

About 73 percent of the more than 1 million firefighters in the U.S. are volunteers, as opposed to paid career firefighters, and about two-thirds of all fire departments are primarily volunteer, according to the National Volunteer Fire Council, a Washington-based lobbying group. But in two decades, the number of volunteers has declined by more than 10 percent, from 897,750 in 1984 to 800,050 in 2003. The council has begun a national recruitment campaign to rebuild the ranks.

Some say the decline is a sign of the times--busy schedules, households with two working parents and long work commutes. Some blame bureaucracy--too many government requirements on training, safety and funding. Others say this is simply another casualty in the decline of volunteerism in general.

"People do this because of their sense of community, a sense of wanting to give back," said Heather Schafer, executive director of the National Volunteer Fire Council. "This is a huge time commitment, and that is our No. 1 problem--recruiting and retaining people who have jobs and children."

Since Benjamin Franklin organized a volunteer fire department in Philadelphia in 1736, groups that began as "fire clubs" have attracted the likes of George Washington, Thomas Jefferson and Paul Revere. They thrived over the years by drawing families into their ranks and providing a social outlet in towns that had little else to offer.

In McLaurin, the fire department sponsors baseball games, barbecues, car shows and even a male beauty pageant, not just for fun but also to supplement the $30,000 a year it receives from the county and the $2 a month from every household in the 50 square miles it covers.

`It becomes your life'

When there is a fire, the 24 active members spread the word via two-way radios, and those who are available hop into their personal vehicles, pull their uniforms and gear out of the trunk of their car and head to the scene. When there is a car wreck, they are first on the scene, administering CPR or sometimes just offering words of comfort until an ambulance arrives.

The department, which peaked at about 60 volunteers in the mid-1980s, is made up of ordinary people--factory workers, secretaries, retired National Guardsmen--who have lived in the community for years. They pull snakes out of houses, help kids out of trees and clear the roads of hurricane debris.

"If you volunteer, it becomes your life," said Sharron Trawick, 45, a florist and single mother who is the elected captain of the McLaurin department. "Most of the young people don't stay around here long, and if they do, they would rather be out having fun than fighting fires."

The biggest problems facing most departments, according to Robert Reason, Illinois state director for the volunteer fire council, are finding enough volunteers for the day shift and making time for the increased terrorism and hazardous materials training required by the federal government, particularly since the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks. In Illinois, he said, it takes 240 hours to become a state-certified firefighter.

"It basically takes a year and a half to teach a firefighter to become a firefighter, and that's just the baseline firefighting techniques," said Reason, who also is president of the Spring Bay Fire Protection District near Peoria. "For some communities it is a big challenge to come up with the money to educate their people and to keep them on duty."

Illinois provides benefits

Volunteer firefighters in Illinois are better off than those in many states because they receive state benefits, including worker's compensation, death benefits and tuition waivers for their college-age children. However, as in most states, they do not qualify for pensions.

Companies are reluctant to give employees time off to fight fires in the middle of the day. Two years ago, Illinois passed legislation protecting volunteer firefighters from losing their jobs when they leave work to fight a fire.

Larger communities with bigger budgets provide firefighting gear to their members, but in many small departments, the volunteers have to pay for their own.

"If you damage your clothing, use your own car or need a pair of work gloves, nobody pays for that," said Tommy McDermott, volunteer president of the Mississippi Firefighters' Association. "If you figure gas, wear and tear on your vehicle, that's at least $500 a year out of your pocket. A lot of people don't have that kind of money. They can't afford to be a firefighter."

Mississippi is considering incentive programs like those under way at some departments in Illinois. In the Spring Bay district, for example, the department pays a stipend of $200 to $700 a year for responding to calls and attending meetings and training sessions. Some departments pay their firefighters $5 or $10 per call.

In recent years, volunteer fire departments have relied heavily on grants from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security to replace outdated fire pumpers, ladder trucks and ambulances that can cost up to $750,000 each. In order to apply for grants, departments must complete federally mandated training.

While the competition for money has grown, federal funding has shrunk. More than $2.6billion was sought from the Assistance to Firefighters Grant Program, but Congress reduced the program's 2006 fiscal year budget to $545 million, compared to $650 million in 2005 and $750 million in 2004.

This year, the Liberty Volunteer Fire Department in Indiana received a $4,000 matching grant from the state to buy new uniforms. But $8,000 was enough for only six uniforms. It will take three more years to come up with enough money to outfit the entire 22-member department, said Chief Jerry Kahl.

The hardships have not deterred one of the department's most dedicated members, 24-year-old Matt Barnhizer. His youth is not the only thing that makes him an anomaly. Barnhizer, who lives in Liberty, volunteers at his hometown station at night and at nearby College Corner during the day. He also holds down a job as an agriculture field technician.

"My hours are flexible, so if there is a fire run, I leave work and go," said Barnhizer, who followed in his father's footsteps as a volunteer firefighter. "Sometimes it is tough, and when you are in the middle of something, you can't get it done. But if something happened to my place or my family's place, I would want someone there to help. That's why I do it."

Before he could finish making his point that evening, an emergency call came in over the radio. "We'll have to finish this later," Barnhizer said, clicking off his cell phone and dashing out the door.

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Volunteer firefighter facts

- 73 percent of all firefighters in the U.S. are volunteers.

- Communities smaller than 25,000 people depend most heavily on volunteer firefighters.

- Volunteer firefighters save localities across the country an estimated $37.2 billion a year in services.

- 76 of the 107 firefighters who died in the line of duty in 2004 were volunteers. Most had heart attacks. The second-highest cause of death was vehicle accidents.

- The average cost to train and equip a firefighter in protective clothing and breathing apparatus is about $7,400.

Source: National Volunteer Fire Council

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dglanton@tribune.com

Copyright © 2006, Chicago Tribune

[JM15 386]

This is becoming a serious issue in the volunteer fire service. This is something that all departments need to look at and discuss. One of the major consequences is not covering EMS calls especially doing the day. Which is becoming more frequent and dangerous to the people that we serve and protect.

Edited September 25, 2006 by JM15

[Guest]

240 hours for basic in Illinois?