Era of fire volunteers fades with the times (Article)

[x635 4,066]

This was published at an unknown date by an unknown author in the North County Times, Riverside County California

Note: Any anti-paid or anti-volunteer comments or responses to this article will be deleted immedietly. I posted this here because I found it interesting, not to start a "who is better" debate

Era of fire volunteers fades with the times  

Barring major societal change, the reality for the future is that volunteer firefighters will play less and less of a role in Escambia and Santa Rosa counties. The only real question might be how soon the word "volunteer" is scrubbed from various fire stations.  

Blame the complexity of life.  

In the good old days, volunteer fire departments filled safety and social functions to a much greater degree than today. People in rural communities knew that if they didn't volunteer, there would be no fire protection. And in an era that seems light years away from today's fast-paced society, people simply had more time -- if fewer places -- to gather with their neighbors.  

At the same time, however, training for volunteer firefighting was a lot less demanding, both in time and sophistication. Equipment was less complex, and less abundant, and for many volunteer departments, the task was often limited to getting to the fire and spraying water or -- for more sophisticated units -- foam on it. They didn't respond to traffic accidents unless there was a fire, and they left medical emergencies to the ambulance.  

Today people are busier in myriad ways. They are busier at the office, and they are busier with their families, especially when it comes to school-age kids. And if they volunteer at the VFD, they are busier there, too. The number of calls is way up, and the training takes longer and is more demanding. At the same time, businesses struggling with a more competitive climate are reluctant to let volunteers leave to work emergencies.  

Volunteer fire departments worked with and fit into rural communities during an era when development was less intense,the roads were less crowded and less was expected of them. Many departments probably spent as much or -more time raising money and socializing than they did training or responding to emergencies.  

Today many of those once-rural communities are densely populated urban areas with homes and businesses filled with all sorts of materials that put off toxic smoke when burning. There are many more multi-story homes and businesses, and they are bigger than the structures in the past.  

We are also a much more safety-conscious society. Many of the risks firefighters used to take -- both knowingly and unknowingly -- are no longer acceptable, and equipment and technique are depended upon instead.  

Other than limiting their response to medical emergencies, it is hard to see how to make VFDs more viable without changing the way we live. (And limiting volunteer response means paying someone else to do it, or once again leaving it to ambulance companies.)  

Replacing volunteers with paid firefighters will be costly. But the alternative is likely to be communities with little -- or no -- fire protection.

[1075thebox 1]

This article hits the nail on the head, sadly.

It's ironic how it came out the same day as the Pelham article.

I know that certain Department's have gained members at a steady pace for years. If you take two new members and compare them a year later, chances are one of them is no longer active.

The reasons are endless; work, family, personal matters, health issues, training requirements, etc., etc.

What we can do to preserve the Volunteer Fire Service sounds simple, but thick-headed morons prevent it.

1. Make sure our own people meet required levels of training.

2. Encourage new members to be a part of your "family." Telling them "You have to take the class or we're throwing you out" is a bad approach. Say to them "we need you, we like you, and we want you to be a part of our family for a long time."

3. Advertise!!! Tons of people think we are all paid!

4. Eliminate the BS!!! Too many people lose interest because of petty indifferences, egos, bickering and poor-morale.

5. Stop comparing ourselves to the career firefighters. They have a job to do, and that job requires them to train train train. Accept the fact that unless you personally have a course list longer then your pant leg, they are generally better trained then we are. I accept it, and I continually work to be at their level.

6. Be professional in everything you do. Don't trash talk your own people, the career guys, and more importantly, don't open your mouth unless you know what you are talking about and you aren't embarassing yourself and company in front of the wrong people.

In closing, we will be here long down the road. How long? It's up to us to decide NOW.

Be safe - but more importantly be smart.

[Guest EMFAS_26-21]

It's sad because the best way to give back to your community is to volunteer in some way, shape, or form in order to make the quality of life a little better. It shouldn't always be about getting paid for particular a job, however, it should be about the satisfaction gained at the end of the day knowing that you're making a difference in someone's life. I guess not many people feel that way, otherwise there would be more volunteers in general.

[BFD1054 1,552]

1075thebox, you definately summed it up perfectly! Training is essential no matter what. There was a time when guys didn't train, didn't want to train and didn't see any reason to train. Times have changed and we need to be training as much as possible. I've heard a lot of people complain that now "Firefighting Essentials" is not enough and they need to have Firefighter-I to be at the least interior qualified. Personally, i try and train as much as possible and take as many varying courses as my schedule allows, because if nothing else, it may save my life one day! We all need to suck it up and make sure we're all getting the required training for the better of our departments, communities and ourselves! I totally liked your "#2" on your list. We all need to keep up the morale in our companies, there needs to be more of a sense of family and brotherhood. "#3" is great too, i know my department (Buchanan) pretty much relys on word-of-mouth to gain new members. Luckily, within the past year, we have been getting a lot of high school age kids to join, and then they get thier friends to join, which is great for us and a great age to start. Other than that, we hardly advertise. Luckily for us, our department really doesn't have to worry about the whole paid/volly thing because we are all volunteer. But i totally understand what you mean, i see it in a lot of departments and individual people. As you said, the career guys go through a hell of a lot of training to get where they are and continue thier training for the rest of thier careers. Instead of comparing, we as volunteers should just train more, so that hopfully we to can be as well trained as the career guys. #6 hit it on the head to! You never know who is out there listening and watching, so be as professional as possible. Watch what you do and say, trashing people and being stupid is not for emergency scenes. We should all be wearing proper protective gear at scenes as well, which also makes us look more professional. Sorry everyone for rambling on, i just totally agreed with everything 1075thebox had to say and wanted to shed some light on his comments.

EMFAS_26-21, you hit it on the head as well. You may feel that way, i know i feel that way, but as you said, unfortunately, not enough people feel that way. I feel the same way, hell screw the paycheck, a simple "thank-you" from a homeowner after a fire or other emergency or a patient in the ambulance is enough for me! Knowing that we are appreciated and needed is enough reason for me to volunteer my time.

Just my thoughts and opinions.

BFD1054

[chris498 31]

1075 you and I obviously think the same way. I want to agree that what we do today is very important. You could not be more right when you stated that most people who are served by volunteers today, do not know that fact. Here are some things that worked for my department.

Advertising is key.... let the public know who you are, and what you do.... attend community events as a department.... put faces with the service. Take the time to talk with those who show even the slightest interest.... most will say no thank you.... some will join. We have worked very agressively in my department to recruite a large number of new people..... let me say this.... the best recruiter is a happy recruit.... try to remember that because someone did not grow up with you in your community does not rule out the amount of pride, knowledge and enthusiasm they can bring to an organization. New members have friends who they may ask to join somewhere down the road if they themselves are happy as members. Not every new member will stay.... this should not discourage you in your recruiting efforts..... I want to say that advertising is not begging, it is honest, and it is necessary.... let people know you need members, they will come.

We always need to act like professionals, for our community and for ourselves, in every aspect of the service we provide. A lot can be done to recruit and retain new members. How we plan today is how we will survive into the future. Stay safe.

[FF402 133]

Some great points made here. But what about the cost of living in Westchester? Some people simply can't afford to live in the communities with VFD's. Those who can "aren't the type" for volunteer FF'ing or don't have time.

[chris498 31]

Sadly the cost of living is going to effect the fire service in Westchester County. It is sad that many of us, myself included will some day leave this area to findlocations that are more affordable. But I would us all not out new members because of their ecconomic status.... in many communities, people of white collar rank are joining the fire service. And while not every community is going to yield the same results as far as recruiting and retaining from this group.... there are departments out there who are having success with this population. Remember that people from all walks of life will be interested in serving their communities...... don't be too hasty and rule them out..... if you haven't tried to recruit them, you can't really know that they are not interested. But on the other hand I share your concern. It is true that life's demands are often a factor that will negatively effect the fire service. I think we all can attest to that.

[BFD1054 1,552]

Chris498, you make some great points! I have to admit though, i am kind of getting tired of hearing the excuse "i really don't have the time to volunteer." Although i'd rather get that as an honest answer, it still kind of ticks me off. I have a full time job, go to college full-time at night and i still find time to volunteer, hell i just made Lieutenant in my department and can find time for my duties. People can find time, some just don't want to. I think when recruiting, we also should make it clear that there are many different jobs to do in the fire service. You don't have to be the guy stretching the line through the door, you could be a driver, fire police or whatever! We need help in all aspects, i give a lot of credit to all volunteers because i know it takes a lot tot do it! Stay safe all!

BFD1054