Executive Summary                 

Introduction

• Remarks of Fred G. Allinson, Chairman, National Volunteer Fire Council

• Remarks of the Honorable Carrye Brown, Administrator, U.S. Fire Administration

• Remarks of Chief Fred Windisch, Chairman, Volunteer Section, International

Association of Fire Chiefs

• Remarks of Dr. Denis Onieal, Superintendent, National Fire Academy

• Remarks of Mr. Donald Bathurst, Deputy Administrator, U.S. Fire Administration

• Special Presentation: U.S. Firefighter and Fire Department Statistics

• Special Presentation: Recruitment and Retention in the Volunteer Fire Service

• Special Presentation: The 1-800-FIRE LINE National Volunteer Emergency Services Recruitment Campaign

• Special Presentation: Legislative Issues Affecting the Volunteer Fire Service

• The Past, Present, and Future of Volunteer Fire Departments

On June 6, 1998, the National Volunteer Fire Council held a National Volunteer Fire Summit at the National Fire Academy in Emmitsburg, Maryland. The purpose of the Summit was to examine the current state of the volunteer fire service in America, discuss critical issues affecting it, and make recommendations for action or further study to improve the service. A variety of groups from both inside and outside of the fire service were represented at the Summit.

Volunteer firefighters are the first line defenders against fires, medical emergencies, terrorist threats, hazardous materials incidents, trench collapses, high and low angle rescues, and other types of specialized rescue in many communities across the country. Volunteer firefighters comprise 75 percent of firefighters in the country, and protect 43 percent of the country’s population. In 1996, there were approximately 815,500 volunteer firefighters in the United States. Of the 31,503 fire departments in the country, 89 percent are all or mostly volunteer.

During the Summit, special presentations were given about critical issues facing the volunteer fire service today and for the future. One of the most critical issues is recruitment and retention of volunteer firefighters. Since the early 1980s, the number of volunteer firefighters in the United States has declined between 5-10 percent. During the same period, the number of emergency calls have sharply increased, as have the training requirements for volunteers, meaning volunteer fire departments have to do more with fewer people. Unlike 30 years ago, the public expects fire departments today to be able to respond to a wide variety of emergencies including fires, medical emergencies, chemical/biological and terrorist threats, hazardous materials incidents, and technical rescues.

Another critical issue is firefighter health and safety. While the number of volunteer and career firefighter deaths have declined nearly by one-half since the mid-1970s, there are still nearly 100 firefighter fatalities in the United States each year, and volunteers comprise the majority of these. Despite the fact that volunteers risk their lives freely to protect citizens of their communities, many volunteer fire departments, which often rely on funds raised by their volunteers, cannot afford insurance to provide comprehensive short and long-term medical and worker’s compensation protection.

The consensus among attendees of the Summit was that the volunteer fire service in the United States is at a critical juncture. There are many challenges facing volunteer fire departments today. At the same time, many of these departments are struggling to raise enough money to fund basic essentials such as apparatus and training. Some volunteer departments do not have enough money to purchase protective clothing for all of their firefighters, and many cannot afford the state-of-the-art protective equipment that is available today.

The future of the volunteer fire service depends on strong support, both financially and morally, from local, state, and Federal governments. The critical issues facing volunteer firefighters must be addressed and resolved. Summit attendees made recommendations about how to deal with these critical issues. A list of recommendations is given below. They are grouped under general headings. No priorities were assigned at the Summit.

The volunteer fire service must reach out more actively to Federal, state, and local legislators and government managers to educate them about its problems and needs. This can be accomplished through partnerships with trade associations that represent managers, articles in their newsletters/magazines, presentations at their conventions, and meetings with legislators.

The volunteer fire service must reach out more actively to the public to keep it informed about its problems and needs. This must be done at the local level by fire departments, the state level by state firefighter’s associations, and at the national level by the NVFC, IAFC, and other fire service interest groups. This can be accomplished by media coverage and campaigns such as 1-800-FIRE LINE.

The volunteer fire service should continue to reach out actively to legislators regarding fire code issues.

The viability of the volunteer fire service in the future will depend on greater financial and administrative support from all levels of government. The fire service of today and the future must be prepared to handle a broad range of services including suppression, medical emergencies, chemical/biological and terrorist threats, hazardous materials incidents, and technical rescues. Given the number of staff hours which must be committed to train for these types of emergencies and respond to emergency calls, volunteer firefighters will have less time to commit to fundraising and administration, and instead will rely on greater support from the government in these areas.

Fire departments should annually compute the savings generated by volunteers and provide this data to local leaders and the public. The NVFC should establish a national methodology for computing savings generated by volunteer firefighters and rescue personnel.

 

 

There must be improved screening for volunteer firefighter health, particularly in the area of heart attacks.

Firefighters with physical limitations or health risks (particularly cardiac risks) that could compromise their ability to suppress a fire or perform a rescue safely should not continue to function as line firefighters.

The fire service should continue to examine what operational and training standards should be implemented or altered to make firefighting and rescue activities safer, and to better prepare firefighters for the hazards they will encounter.

Local officials need a better understanding of what equipment and training are necessary to do the job safely, and local governments must provide the financial resources to purchase equipment and pay for training.

 

 

Volunteer fire service recruitment and retention must be a high priority issue among local, state, and Federal legislators, and public managers. The problem of shrinking ranks affects millions of people across the nation who are protected by volunteers.

Volunteer fire service leaders should focus the efforts of members on prevention, training, and emergency response. Given the demands placed on volunteers today, and the increasing number and types of calls to which they respond, it is unfeasible to expect volunteers to perform all of the assignments they have in the past (e.g. fundraising, station/apparatus maintenance, administration, etc.). Requiring each member to participate in all the assignments of the past is a barrier to recruitment and retention.

Local and state governments must provide greater financial support to fire departments to help them maintain their volunteers. This may mean providing funding to hire personnel to assist with administrative duties, maintenance, or emergency response to alleviate the time burdens placed on volunteers. Governments should also provide greater financial assistance so that volunteers do not have to spend as much time fundraising, but instead can focus on prevention, training, and emergency response.

Local and state governments should ensure that a blanket of protection exists for volunteers in the event of injury, death in the line of duty, or legal problems. Many communities do not offer volunteers hospitalization insurance, worker’s compensation benefits, or general liability protection in case of tort. Volunteers should not be expected to put their lives at risk for free without adequate protection.

Volunteer fire departments and government leaders should establish incentive systems to recruit and retain volunteers. Volunteering in the fire service is one of the most time demanding volunteer activities today. Communities benefit from incentive programs that encourage members to serve.

Volunteer fire departments need to recruit more non-firefighting members to assist with administrative duties, public education and prevention, maintenance, fundraising, and other non-operational duties that are essential. This will help to alleviate time demands on firefighting members so they can focus on training and emergency response.

Volunteer fire departments should help their volunteers manage time demands by using duty shifts, reserving the same night every week for training/meetings, and scheduling events in advance.

All 50 states should adopt the 1-800-FIRE LINE campaign. Once this has occurred, the NVFC should publicize the campaign nationally.

Volunteer fire departments should explore other methods to improve recruitment and retention as discussed in the NVFC/USFA publication Fire Report on Recruitment and Retention in the Volunteer Fire Service.

 

 

Volunteer fire departments must provide greater leadership training for members. Leadership problems are often a root cause of recruitment and retention problems.

The National Fire Academy and NVFC should work jointly to facilitate distance learning for volunteers. Many volunteers cannot give up one or two weeks to attend classes at the Academy. Special attention should be given to expand distance learning delivery of NFA leadership courses.

The National Fire Academy should examine non-traditional teaching methods (e.g. satellite distance classrooms, internet, CD-ROM, etc.) to make its training courses available to volunteer firefighters.

The National Fire Academy’s Volunteer Incentive Program should be recorded on video and made available to the volunteer fire service.

 

Volunteer fire departments must do more to educate the public about fire prevention and safety. Departments should recruit members specifically to handle this function.

 

 

The NVFC should continue to coordinate volunteer fire service communications on the national level. It should continue to utilize tools such as the internet and electronic mail to communicate important issues to volunteers. The internet and electronic mail will be essential to strong communications in the future.

Every state volunteer firefighter’s association should connect to the internet, and create dynamic links to the NVFC’s internet homepage.

Every volunteer fire department in the country should establish an electronic mail and internet connection.

 

 

Volunteer fire departments should consolidate as necessary to eliminate duplication of services and improve efficiency of operations.

If departments do not consolidate, they should utilize "consolidated decision making" or "functional consolidation." Under this approach, neighboring departments work more closely together to improve operations, ensure the closest unit responds to an emergency, take advantage of bulk purchase prices on apparatus or equipment, establish regional specialized response teams (e.g. hazardous materials, technical rescue, etc.), and share apparatus and equipment, even if they do not take the last step and consolidate organizationally.

 

 

The National Volunteer Fire Summit was held on June 6, 1998 at the National Fire Academy in Emmitsburg, Maryland. It was organized by the National Volunteer Fire Council and co-sponsored by the U.S. Fire Administration.

The three major goals of the Summit were:

to discuss current issues affecting the volunteer fire service

to exchange information with groups from outside the fire service

to establish recommendations for issues of high priority to the volunteer fire service.

The National Volunteer Fire Summit was similar in focus to a series of meetings called "Stonebridge," the first of which was held in 1979. The Stonebridge conferences, named after the location of the first meeting, brought together fire service leaders and volunteers from across the country to one location. The meetings were the first attempt ever to unite the country’s volunteers for the purpose of discussing volunteer issues and setting national priorities. The conferences examined fire codes, public relations (image), public fire education, training, funding, service levels, personnel, recruitment and retention, and management. The Stonebridge conferences and the National Volunteer Fire Summit were co-sponsored by the U.S. Fire Administration. Stonebridge conferences were held in 1979, 1980, 1984, and 1988.

The first half of the 1998 Summit focused on current issues affecting the volunteer fire service across the nation. Speakers made presentations on recruitment and retention, trends in volunteer personnel, firefighter fatalities and injuries, legislative issues, and the future of the volunteer fire service. Special presentations were made by the Honorable Carrye Brown, U.S. Fire Administrator; Mr. Donald Bathurst, Deputy Director of the U.S. Fire Administration; and Dr. Denis Onieal, Superintendent of the National Fire Academy.

Unlike the Stonebridge conferences which were attended primarily by volunteer fire service leaders, the Summit was designed to be broader, and incorporate input and information from individuals and groups outside of the volunteer fire service which impact or have an interest in the volunteer fire service. Outside organizations and groups invited to attend included fire and EMS trade associations; local and state government trade associations; fire protection manufacturing companies; fire service insurance companies; and selected Federal government agencies. In addition, an open invitation to the Summit was given to all United States Congressional representatives (though none attended). A working association with non-fire service groups allows for the exchange of ideas, sharing of the volunteer fire service’s needs, and facilitates better communications amongst the groups. A full list of individuals and groups invited is included in Appendix A. Below is a list of actual attendees.

The first portion of the National Volunteer Fire Summit included presentations about the status of the volunteer fire service. The presentations included welcoming remarks from dignitaries as well as special topics of major importance to the volunteer fire service today. This section of the report provides an overview of comments made by each presenter.

Below are the prepared welcoming remarks made by Fred G. Allinson, NVFC Chairman, at the Summit.

"Welcome to the National Volunteer Fire Summit. My name is Fred Allinson and I am the Chairman of the National Volunteer Fire Council. We are here today to look at the issues that will impact the volunteer fire service in the future and how we can work together on these issues."

"In 1979 and 1980, the NVFC participated in two meetings in Snow Mass, Colorado, known as the "Stonebridge Conferences". Following those meetings, we also participated in a meeting hosted by the U.S. Fire Administration. At each of those meetings, the Directors of the NVFC identified the fire safety issues facing America and provided a series of recommendations."

"These highly productive meetings were held quite some time ago and much of what we recommended has been implemented. However, as we head into the 21^st century, it is now time to go out beyond the fire service community and partner with other groups, like our Mayors, our City Managers and the like. By working with these groups, we can learn what each other’s needs are and decrease the loss of life and property and increase firefighter safety and availability of training."

"Unfortunately many of these groups were unable to attend this meeting. We will produce a report following this meeting and will distribute it to all that were invited to attend. We will also conduct a follow-up meeting with those specific groups to discuss the issues, which are brought up today."

"We thank you for joining us today and we especially thank the U.S. Fire Administration for partnering with us on this momentous occasion."

Below are the prepared welcoming remarks made by the Honorable Carrye Brown, U.S. Fire Administrator.

"Welcome to the home of the U.S. Fire Administration. I am delighted that you are on our campus for the National Volunteer Fire Summit. Your goal to build bridges with fire service customers is excellent. I am proud to be here to help you kick off this summit!"

"The National Volunteer Fire Council has always been important to me and to the U.S. Fire Administration. Therefore, I am pleased that the NVFC and other fire/emergency service organizations will be reviewing USFA. I welcome the review by the fire/emergency community because there is no better way to find out how we can better serve our customers than to have our customers - you - make recommendations to us."

"Working in partnership with the NVFC and other fire/emergency organizations, we have accomplished much since I became Administrator. I began my fifth year last month. Some of our partnership accomplishments include:

Addressing the volunteer retention and recruitment problems. Working together, we have developed two manuals to help solve this problem.

In addition, two-day workshops have been held throughout the country. And in the late fall, a final report on volunteer recruitment and retention will be published.

Since 1985, the NVFC/USFA communications partnership has allowed exchange of important information needed by the volunteer fire service. Today, the NVFC’s home web page provides updated information on USFA’s resources, reports, and public education materials as well as NFA’s training opportunities.

The National Fire Academy offers three VIP (Volunteer Incentive Program) sessions for the 1998-99 academic year and three additional Fire Command courses."

"Our plans and vision for the future are to continue with more partnership activities to benefit our customers -- you, the fire/emergency community and the American people. Our visions of where we want to be by the year 2002 has already been approved by the Office of Management and Budget, and has been sent to Congress. It is the USFA’s part of the Congressionally-mandated Government Performance and Results Act, called GRPA. Congress has told us if we do not meet our goals and objectives, they may cut our budget. Therefore, our vision has real goals and objectives that also have teeth."

"The following performance indicators, developed by USFA staff, will be used to measure if we accomplish our goals:

By the year 2002, working in local, state, and Federal partnerships, reduce the rate of fire losses by five percent.

Increase the use of fire safety education materials by two to five percent by the year 2002.

Increase the number of students reached to 300,000 annually by the year 2000.

Improve our efficiency by 15 percent by 2002. That includes reducing costs per student by two to five percent.

By the year 2002, achieve a 90 percent level of customer satisfaction."

"We will not be able to reach any of our goals without your help. Therefore, we are committed, now more than ever before, to working in partnership with you and the other fire/emergency service organizations so that we will be able to better serve the NVFC and the entire fire/emergency community and the American people in the 21st century."

"As I look around the room, I see people I have worked with for years -- going back before I was Administrator -- and you know me. And, as you know, we have many of the same goals."

"Thank you. If you have any questions, I will be happy to answer them."

Chief Windisch’s presentation focused on four areas that he said are critical to the future of the volunteer fire service. These areas are:

The volunteer fire service must be more united nationally and be more vocal on issues such as training and standards.

The volunteer fire service must do a better job communicating its needs to legislators and other political entities, and it must be more vocal about Federal, state, and local legislative issues.

The National Volunteer Fire Council and the International Association of Fire Chiefs, which are the two major groups that represent volunteers in the United States and share similar goals, must work more closely.

Volunteer fire departments must continue to prepare and train for the growing types of threats for which they will be summoned to handle, including chemical/biological attacks, medical emergencies, hazardous materials incidents, and technical rescues.

Dr. Onieal discussed how the fire service has advanced to a level of true professionalism this century. Like doctors, nurses, and lawyers, firefighters are required to go through formal training and pass state and national certification examinations. Becoming a firefighter is more than just an apprenticeship today. National training standards have made training similar across the country.

Dr. Onieal noted that the role of the fire service will continue to expand, and that all fire departments, volunteer and career, must be ready for this.

He also emphasized that the fire service must improve in the area of public relations on the local, state, and national levels. There is great need to keep the public and legislators informed about its capabilities, needs, and problems. On the national level in particular, the fire service must improve in communications, and speak with one voice and make that voice heard.

Below are the prepared welcoming remarks made by Mr. Donald Bathurst, Deputy U.S. Fire Administrator.

"The fire problem is national in scope, but it occurs one fire at a time at the local level."

"The United States does have a serious fire loss rate. It is somewhat masked because fire deaths occur one and two at a time. However, the magnitude is that of a medium-sized airliner crashing every week! 5,300 were killed in 1994 and more than 29,000 were injured. Per capita deaths are about flat."

"Fire deaths in the country are roughly equivalent to a 737 jetliner crashing every two weeks! We don’t stand by idly as a society after one crash, yet the equivalent in fire deaths is at least tacitly accepted. We take major regulatory action after 49 deaths from improperly used automobile air bag systems, but not from fire deaths. We mount major, coordinated law enforcement initiatives after a handful of truly tragic school shootings, yet call for similar community-based actions to address some of the same root causes that lead to more fire deaths, and it doesn’t seem to get off the ground."

"Fire causes an undue drain on the economy. How many uninsured or underinsured people become homeless or on welfare after a fire? How many communities become strapped because of a loss of tax base after a fire? How many cities deteriorate after a fire in a major business center causes the business to fold or move elsewhere?"

"Direct losses in 2.2 million fire total $9.4 billion. However, looking at all indirect losses and other costs, we estimate the total cost of fire to the country to be as high as $139 billion per year! This is nearly 2 percent of the gross national product."

"We have a relatively good severity rate, that is, individual fires are less severe than in other parts of the world. This is in large part to the fine response system we have in fire departments across the country."

"The problem is that we have more fire ignitions. Also, the types of furnishings we have, and the conditioned spaces, add to the hazard. In simulated controlled space, with windows and doors closed, fires burn with less oxygen and produce more toxic products of combustion."

"We continuously monitor fire losses, and annually compile an analysis of national loss trends. We are upgrading the National Fire Incident Reporting System to increase the accuracy and speed with which we can get data analyzed."

"Armed with the loss data, we can identify those areas and we can have the most effective impact for the limited funds available. We see a need to focus on how fires are ignited and the initial fire growth. These are critical factors in fire deaths and set the scene for monetary losses."

"We also need to continue to work to change people’s attitude about fire. We don’t sit still for transportation accidents, yet we take in stride more people dying and more loss out of the economy! In addition, we must balance these activities with training and other resources for the fire service responders so that we do not lose the significant edge we already enjoy."

"We need to work together to understand and communicate the significance of the fire problem to local policy makers and make them our partners. We then can work together on technological solutions for a safer built environment, reasonable codes and standards based on performance measurement, more efficient equipment and systems for fire detection and suppression, public education and fire prevention programs so that our citizens can learn how to protect themselves, and cutting edge training so that responders have the best chance of saving lives and property in the safest manner possible."

Mr. Tokle provided a statistical overview of the fire service in the United States and firefighter fatalities. The National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) tracks fire departments through its annual national survey of fire departments. The NFPA defines an active volunteer firefighter as any person who is involved in firefighting purely as a volunteer, paid-on-call, or part-time. Career firefighters are full-time, paid members.

Highlights of Fire Department Statistics (1996 Data)

1,081,800 firefighters in the United States

815,500 (75%) of these are volunteer firefighters

There are approximately 31,503 fire departments in the United States

74% of fire departments are all volunteer

15% of fire departments are mostly volunteer

20% of the fire departments are combination paid/volunteer staffed

43% of the U.S. population is protected by volunteer or mostly volunteer departments

94% of volunteers are in departments that protect fewer than 2,500 people

Highlights of Firefighter Fatality Statistics (1997 data)

On average, the total number of firefighter deaths in the U.S. has declined since the mid 1970s. The highest number of deaths on record occurred in 1978 when 171 firefighters died. The lowest number was 75 in 1992.

On average, more volunteer firefighters have died annually than career firefighters. In 1997, volunteers accounted for 57 of the 94 deaths.

The leading causes of volunteer firefighter deaths are heart attacks and motor vehicle accidents.

In 1997, heart attacks accounted for 51% of volunteer deaths. Vehicle accidents accounted for 25% of the volunteer deaths.

Among all firefighters who died in the line of duty in 1997, 56% had known prior heart problems, and 26% had known arteriosclerosis.

Among all of the vehicle accidents which killed firefighters in 1997, 48% involved a firefighter’s personal vehicle, 24% involved tankers, 18% involved engines/pumpers, and 4.4% involved ambulances.

Mr. Tokle emphasized the need to continue to study these statistics for safety purposes. He said the fire service needs to continue to examine ways by which it can train and educate firefighters to prevent deaths. Additionally, additional standards must be developed as necessary to make firefighting safer.

Reade Bush, a Research Associate at TriData Corporation, has been studying the problem of recruitment and retention in the volunteer fire service for the NVFC and USFA since 1993. He made a presentation on the USFA/NVFC report entitled Final Report on Recruitment and Retention in the Volunteer Fire Service: Problems and Solutions. This report will be available from the U.S. Fire Administration in the Fall of 1998. Below is a summary of Mr. Bush’s comments.

The volunteer fire service is a long-standing tradition in the United States that often encompasses families generation after generation. Unfortunately, it is also a tradition in danger of weakening and possibly even dying out. Many fire departments across the nation today are experiencing more difficulty with recruiting and retaining members than ever before. This is demonstrated by the decline in the number of active volunteer firefighters nationally, which is estimated to have dropped from 884,600 in 1983 to 815,500 in 1996, and by reports from fire departments in every region of the country. The number of volunteers dipped to a low of 770,100 volunteers in 1989. While the number has increased since then, the problem of recruitment and retention is still serious in many areas.

Fire departments can no longer count on the children of current members following in their parents' footsteps. Nor can they count on a continuous stream of local people eager to donate their time and energy to their volunteer fire department. Departments cannot even rely on members staying active in the volunteer fire service for long periods of time.

In order to address recruitment and retention problems, the National Volunteer Fire Council (NVFC), in cooperation with the United States Fire Administration (USFA), initiated a study of this issue that cumulated with a national workshop on recruiting and retention in March of 1993. From 1993-1997, the NVFC and USFA held a series of workshops across the country that brought together volunteer fire service members from all 50 states to discuss the problem of recruitment and retention. At each of the workshops, attendees provided reasons why people don’t volunteer as much in the fire and rescue service today as they did in the past. Reasons noted most frequently include lack of time, apathy, and excessive requirements.

A consensus at the national workshop was that retention and recruitment problems and solutions varied across regions, and even within states and counties. The workshop attendees recommended that an effort should be made to further define the problems in different regions, and to identify and share the ideas and practices found to be successful in recruiting and retaining volunteers. Following this meeting, the USFA established a cooperative agreement with the NVFC to sponsor a series of nine regional workshops to span the nation over a three-year period (1994–1996). TriData Corporation of Arlington, Virginia assisted the USFA and NVFC in arranging and conducting the workshops.

Information collected at the workshops revealed that departments which have taken steps to deal with the problems have seen a resurgence in volunteerism. This indicates that many of the problems can be mitigated or eliminated if proper attention and resources are given to them. Departments which have failed to address the problems and challenges of volunteering in today’s world have been forced to hire paid firefighters.

Virtually all of the workshop attendees said that it is harder to muster a strong cadre of volunteers today than 20 years ago. Despite the challenges of today, the workshops revealed that some volunteer fire departments still maintain strong memberships because they have taken steps to adapt to today’s society and hectic schedules. People are willing to volunteer in the fire and rescue service provided the following are true:

the experience is rewarding and worth their time

the training requirements are not excessive

the time demands are manageable

they feel valued

conflict is minimized

 

It may seem easy to make all of these factors converge in a service activity where lives and property are saved, and where injured persons are given emergency care. But this is not the case. The fire and rescue service is one of the most demanding volunteer activities today. The physical demands and time demands associated with training, running emergency calls, maintaining the station and equipment, fundraising, and operating a non-profit corporation are grueling if not managed properly. As in past years, many people are willing to volunteer in the fire service. Yet, today more than ever, it takes strong coordination and leadership to make the fire service the place where people will turn to give time.

Several factors underlie today's retention and recruitment problem in the volunteer fire service. It is a complex and multi-faceted problem. Although stringent training standards, leadership problems, and time constraints caused by increased family responsibilities – particularly in two-career families and single parent households – seem to be the most common roots, there are many other factors contributing to the turnover that volunteer departments are currently facing. The problems most frequently cited by fire service leaders are listed in Table 1.

Volunteering in the fire service is one of the most time demanding volunteer activities today. Time demands come from all angles: emergency calls, training, meetings, upkeep and maintenance of the station and equipment, and fund raising to name a few. The average volunteer in the country contributes 20 to 100 hours per month. Time demands on volunteers have sharply increased in the past 25 years. Why? There is no simple answer. Many factors, with origins both inside and outside of the fire service, have combined to make the problem of time demands one of the most critical problems facing the volunteer fire service today. These factors are described below.

The Two-Income Family – The surge in the number of two-income families since the early 1970s has meant that people have very little time to volunteer. Time is spent at work, with the kids, and maintaining the house and household. Spare time is an anomaly today, but the precious few moments people do find to volunteer is often too little to allow them to become active in the fire service. Those who do consider volunteering in the fire service today often discover that the time requirements, particularly the start-up time demands associated with initial training, are too great.

 

 

Increased Training Time Demands – Training time requirements have risen steadily in the past 25 years. In many departments until the mid-1960s, new firefighters were given minimal training (usually under 30 hours) before they were allowed to ride fire apparatus. In some cases, members were given a uniform and protective clothing the night they joined and could be seen fighting fires the same night. They learned on the job. Today, however, most fire departments require volunteers to complete a 100-150 hour basic firefighting class before being able to fight fires (see Table 2). Departments that provide emergency medical care may require members to certify as an emergency medical first responder, which is another 75-120 hours of training. Firefighters must also attend Federally-mandated annual hazardous materials training which can range from 10-25 hours. Many states require volunteers to recertify their training every 3-5 years. Although recertification is not as time demanding as the initial training, it is another demand that volunteers must fit into their busy schedules.

Higher Emergency Call Volume – Many volunteer fire departments have seen their volume of emergency calls increase between 25 and 75 percent since the early 1980s (discussed more later). This has dramatically increased time demands on volunteers. Thus, call volumes have grown while the number of volunteers has declined, meaning that volunteer fire departments have to do more today with fewer hands.

Increased Demands within Departments – The individual volume of work that a volunteer must handle today is greater than in past years because there are fewer members, leaving the remaining members to assume more responsibilities in all areas (from going to more fire calls to administering the department). In addition, there are greater demands of paperwork in today’s fire service. Fire chiefs must ensure that everything from emergency responses to training is documented. A 10-15 minute report must be completed for each response. The paperwork today is also more detailed than in the past because of legal needs to provide more comprehensive documentation. There is fear that incomplete documentation could leave a department vulnerable to lawsuits.

 

Increased training requirements have had a large effect on retention and recruitment, as previously noted. On-the-job training is no longer permitted as a substitute for formal training. The time when a volunteer can start to go on calls and do other exciting duties is delayed, and their initial enthusiasm may be lost. Also, some volunteers are not good at taking written tests and may quit rather than face one, fail, and have to leave. Formal training, however, has made both the volunteer and paid fire service more professional.

The root issues that have caused training requirements to increase are discussed below.

Higher Training Standards – Training for both volunteer and career firefighters has grown more formal and comprehensive in the past 30 years. National consensus training standards created by fire service committees functioning under the National Fire Protection Association and other organizations have increased both classroom and practical requirements. The standards are designed to increase safety awareness and establish minimum competencies at various training levels. The majority of states have adopted these standards. In addition, the U.S. Department of Transportation established standards for emergency medical training which have been adopted by all 50 states. As previously mentioned, these standards have increased training time demands substantially.

Federal Requirements – The federal government has enacted training requirements for volunteers through the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) and U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). OSHA requirements apply to volunteers only in certain states and are generally met through basic firefighting courses. EPA requirements apply to all volunteers. The EPA mandates that all volunteers take annual hazardous materials training. In addition, the EPA has prohibited the burning of old structures in certain areas of the country, particularly in urban areas. This means that firefighters in these areas cannot readily conduct live training burns in realistic settings. Instead, they must use less realistic cinderblock burn buildings that some jurisdictions cannot afford to build. This has compromised the availability of realistic training, and has made training less enjoyable.

Broader Range of Services – The consensus of fire chiefs from across the country who attended the workshops was that the public’s expectations of the fire department is greater today than in years past. The public expects the fire department to provide assistance for emergencies that include fires, fire alarms, carbon monoxide alarms, broken water pipes, natural gas leaks, medical emergencies, vehicle accidents, hazardous materials spills, mysterious odors, structural collapse, extrications, water rescue, and even bomb threats or terrorist incidents. When the public calls for assistance in any of these situations, the fire department must be ready to respond. To respond to the public’s expectations, firefighters must attend a wider variety of training courses.

Recertification Demands – In many states, firefighters and emergency medical technician must recertify. Recertification requirements vary among the states, but generally range from annually to every five years. Time requirements for recertification usually are approximately one-quarter the length of the original class.

 

Factor 3. Increasing Call Volume

            During the same time in which the number of volunteers has declined, the volunteer fire service has had to contend with an increase in the volume of emergency calls.  The National Fire Protection Association reports that fire department call volumes increased on average 60 percent from 1983 to 1996.  This means that volunteer fire departments have to do more with fewer people, and that the overall demands on individual volunteers have increased.  Major causes of the increasing call volume are discussed below.

·        Increasing Emergency Medical Call Volume – Emergency medical calls have created the greatest increase in call volumes for fire departments.  Years ago, most fire departments did not respond to EMS calls.  Instead, the local volunteer rescue squad handled them, if there was a rescue squad.  Sometimes, the local funeral home director, using a hearse, transported seriously injured people.  Today, many fire departments have assumed the role of first responder on medical calls, and many have incorporated ambulances into their fleets.   Units responding from stations that are spread throughout a community are the best means to reach a person in a medical crisis quickly.  The public has grown to expect this rapid response capability from fire departments.  Popularization of EMS by the media and various television programs has led some people to call for help for problems that do not fit the traditional definition of an emergency such as general sicknesses.  In addition, some people use the EMS system for medical advice, and some low-income persons use it to access primary care or because they cannot afford transportation to the hospital.

·        Increase in the Number of Automatic Alarms – As previously noted, the volume of automatic alarms has grown steadily, particularly in areas with commercial buildings.  Commercial buildings often have alarm systems.  Automatic alarms summon the fire department when activated.  Fire departments in affluent areas where homes often have automatic alarms have experienced a sharp increase in call volume due to alarm system malfunctions.  Many volunteers are growing tired of the time demands associated with responding to these false alarms.

·        Greater Reliance by the Public on Fire Department’s Services – The public has not only grown to expect a wider range of services from the fire department, as previously noted, but also has grown to rely more heavily on the fire department.  A greater reliance translates into more calls.  For example, workshop attendees noted that in years past when someone broke an arm they would have a relative or neighbor drive them to the hospital.  Today, people often call for an ambulance instead.  The public is also aware of the greater knowledge and professionalism of firefighters.  As a result, they may call the fire department to check an electrical concern instead of calling an electrician.  Or they may call an emergency medical technician for advice about how to treat an injury instead of calling a doctor or going to the hospital.  This greater reliance on the fire department has contributed to the increase in call volume.

Factor 4. Changes in the “Nature of the Business”

            Any “old timer” around a firehouse will say that the fire service today “just isn’t what it used to be.”  Fire departments have gone through many changes over the past 25 years to adapt to new requirements and demands.  As noted above, firefighters are required to take more training, and the public is calling more and demanding a broader range of services.  These requirements have built to the point that many veteran volunteer firefighters say that volunteering just is not fun anymore.  The situation is exacerbated by the following two factors.

·        Abuse of Emergency Services by the Public – Many volunteers say they have tried to adapt to the increased demands, but the breaking point comes when they feel abused by the public.  “Abuse of 9-1-1 and our services by the public today has driven volunteers right out the door,” said one workshop attendee.  For example, some homeowners and businesses fail to correct problems with malfunctioning automatic alarm systems that summon the volunteers multiple times, often at night.  Or citizens call 9-1-1 to request transport to the hospital for minor stomach cramps.  When the public excessively requests emergency assistance in situations that are not true emergencies, the volunteers burn out.

·        Less Emphasis on Social Aspects of Volunteering – As noted earlier, the loss of the social aspects associated with volunteering has hurt recruitment and retention.  Many volunteers join fire departments and stay involved not only to serve their community and help others in need, but also to develop social relationships.  Some volunteers report that the time demands of volunteering coupled with the time demands of everyday life have left no time to develop social ties or spend time outside of the station with other firefighters.  Likewise, many fire departments have closed down their firehouse bars and poolhalls, which historically have been social centers for many volunteers.

Factor 5. Changes in Sociological Conditions in Urban/Suburban Areas

            The sociological changes experienced by volunteer fire departments in growing areas, particularly around cities, have affected recruitment and retention.  Unfortunately, larger populations usually do not translate into larger number of volunteers. Many of the factors which have fueled the sociological changes have already been mentioned: less time to volunteer, the two-income family, and less of an interest in serving the community or volunteering by younger persons in particular (the “me” generation).

            The transience of many large suburban and urban areas has hurt recruitment and retention.  People who move often are less likely to become involved in a volunteer fire department. Likewise, fire departments usually do not want individuals who spend a year getting trained and then leave.  The problem with transience is particularly acute in resort areas or communities with military populations.  In the Southwest, where the number of large farms and ranches is decreasing and land is being sold and subdivided, fire departments have experienced a surge in transience 

            Unfortunately, growth can sometimes lead to a lost sense of community, especially in metropolitan areas where people commonly live in one area and work in another. This may result in people taking a less active role in their communities.  Residents of urban areas also tend to have less community pride and spirit than residents of smaller towns.  The loss of community spirit means that people are less interested in serving their communities.  Fire departments in suburban and urban areas have found that this characteristic has hurt recruitment.

Factor 6. Changes in Sociological Conditions in Rural Areas

            The recruitment and retention workshop attendees from smaller towns noted that changes in sociological conditions in their areas have also affected recruitment and retention.  Some of the changes, including time demands and the “me” generation, are similar to the changes experienced in urban areas.

            A relatively new sociological change seen by many small towns is the replacement of main street businesses with large, multipurpose department stores.  A single large store has put many small main street stores out of business.  Workshop attendees reported that these stores tend to be less personal, and managers are less willing to let employees leave when the alarm sounds.  Large corporations are usually not as closely tied to the community as are local businesses, and as a result are often less willing to give employees time off to volunteer.

Factor 7.  Leadership Problems

            Many recruitment and retention problems can be traced back directly or indirectly to leadership problems.  Effective leadership helps retain members as well as reduce dissatisfaction. Ineffective leadership is a common reason for a decline in membership.

·        Poor Leadership and Lack of Coordination – Some of the leadership problems stem directly from the lack of direction given to members, particularly new members.  New members need direction, especially in the area of training.  If this initial direction is not provided, new recruits often become frustrated and quit.  A department that is progressive and stays on the leading edge tends to have an easier time with recruitment and retention because its members take more pride in the department.  Progressiveness, however, requires strong leadership and coordination of members’ efforts.

·        Authoritative Management Style – Dictatorial leaders drive members out of volunteer fire departments.  Volunteers feel they are given enough orders in their day-to-day jobs, and prefer not to have every action dictated around the station.  Participative management styles attract and retain members.

·        Failure to Manage Change – Change is inevitable in any fire department, and it can be painful if it is not managed properly.  Departments which undergo major changes (such as consolidations) that are not well-managed will usually lose members.  One of the most common causes of management problems during periods of change is poor communications.  More will be said about this in the section on leadership.

Factor 8. Federal Legislation

            Several acts by the Federal government in recent years have had an impact on recruitment and retention.

·        Fair Labor Standards Act – The Fair Labor Standard Act (FLSA) is a Federal law administered through the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) that governs compensation and overtime requirements for hourly employees.  The Act prevents employers from requiring or coercing employees to volunteer at their place of employment.  The FLSA has existed since 1938, but in 1985, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that FLSA requirements are applicable to state and local government employees.  The ruling requires local governments to pay cash compensation to firefighters who work overtime.

Most paid firefighters are considered hourly employees and fall under the provisions of this Act.  Based on the 1985 ruling and a 1993 DOL interpretation of the law, paid firefighters are prohibited from volunteering during their off duty hours at a fire station in the same jurisdiction in which they are employed, unless their volunteer activities are a separate capacity from their paid work activities.  For example, a paid firefighter could not volunteer in the same jurisdiction during off duty hours to serve as a firefighter, but could perform administrative tasks at a fire station.

The FLSA interpretation has impacted many fire departments in both urban and rural areas, and it has caused some volunteer systems to lose hundreds of members.  For example, in Baltimore County, Maryland, 200 paid firefighters and EMTs used to volunteer during off duty hours at neighborhood fire stations.[1]  Today, none can volunteer while off duty because of the 1985 Supreme Court ruling and 1993 DOL interpretation.

Some State Labor Departments have further interpreted the FLSA prohibition to apply to volunteer fire instructors who are employed as state police, and nurses who volunteer to teach EMS (even though the law only prohibits employees from volunteering in the same job capacity as which they work). Fear by some city officials of possibly being required to pay back wages to employees who volunteer during their off-duty hours has caused some localities to get rid of volunteer members who are city employees, even though the members are not employed as firefighters.  This occurred in Hanover, Massachusetts, where the local labor office interpreted FLSA to prohibit three call firefighters who were town employees (a teacher, a janitor, and a truck driver) from volunteering as firefighters.

·        Two-in, Two-out OSHA Ruling – The Federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) issued an interpretation in 1995 of one of its long-standing standards to require fire departments to have four firefighters assembled at a structure fire before entrance and an attack could be made on the fire.[2]  The intent of this ruling is to require two firefighters to standby outside of the structure as a safety team for the two firefighters who enter. This ruling creates an additional burden on departments that are already struggling with the sizes of their memberships. To comply with the ruling, some departments have had to increase the number of volunteers on a duty shift, which ultimately creates more time demands on the members.  As discussed previously, time demands are one of the leading causes of recruitment and retention problems.

·        EPA Live-Fire Burn Limitations – The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has issued strict standards over the past decade that restrict fire departments from conducting live-fire training burns in certain areas of the country.  The standards are part of larger emissions control standards that affect urban, suburban, and industrial areas in particular.  Fire departments in areas affected by the standards cannot conduct the realistic training burns that they once did.  To complete training courses, firefighters in these areas may be forced to travel great distances to areas where they can conduct burns.  This creates greater time demands on volunteers who are trying to complete training.

Factor 9.  Internal Conflict

            Internal conflicts and other stresses drive members out of fire departments.  The two greatest problems with internal conflict in the volunteer fire service originate among leaders or between volunteer and career members in combination departments.

·        Disagreements Among Departmental Leaders – When disagreements between departmental leaders (either officers or trustees) develop, the membership may become disillusioned.  When the disagreement becomes personal or is not resolved quickly, the resulting tension drives members out.  More will be said about this later.

·        Friction Between Volunteer and Career Members – A major source of recruitment and retention problems in some combination volunteer-paid departments is friction between members.  The friction often arises from disagreements about the way things should be run, or power struggles over whether a volunteer or paid person will be in charge at an emergency incident.  Sometimes, one group may have more training than another group and claim it is more experienced.

Factor 10. Higher Cost of Housing

            Many affluent areas across the country are struggling to retain members who cannot afford to live where they volunteer. The volunteer fire service has historically drawn a large number of blue-collar individuals who typically cannot afford the expenses of high income areas.  The rate of decline in the number of volunteers in these communities is often inversely proportional to the increase in housing costs.   Members who join departments in affluent areas when they are younger generally cannot afford to purchase their first house in those communities, so they move to another jurisdiction that may be too far away to volunteer.  In some cases, the cost of renting is too expensive for volunteers.  It is usually difficult for affluent, white-collar communities to replace these members.

Factor 11. Aging Communities

            Some regions, especially the Southeast and Southwest, have aging populations where volunteer fire departments have difficulty finding younger members to replace members who retire. The second, third, and even fourth generation members are not being replaced, said Chief Tom Campbell of the Panora (IA) Volunteer Fire Department.  Some towns have experienced a steady increase in the average age of residents; other towns have been created as retirement communities that specifically attract older people.  Both of these types of towns struggle with recruitment.

            The primary cause of this problem is the steady increase in the number of senior citizens in the country.  It can also be attributed to the lack of economic growth in smaller towns. Younger individuals leave towns that lack jobs. There are still departments in very rural areas, however, where retention is not a problem, e.g., northeast third of Minnesota; people stay with the department unless they are forced to leave the community for jobs.  But these communities are increasingly the exception.

Effects of the Decline in Volunteers

            The erosion of the volunteer fire service in America has economic and social effects. The economic ramifications are obvious as towns are forced to hire paid firefighters in place of volunteers.  The 75 percent of the country served by volunteer firefighters relies on them to be the first line of defense in almost any type of emergency, from fires to floods to medical emergencies and hazardous materials spills.  Volunteers are the initial mitigators before the arrival of state or federal back-up emergency response teams.

            A report by the National Association of State Foresters in 1995 estimated that volunteers save localities across the United States $36.8 billion per year.  The state auditor of Delaware estimated the savings produced by volunteers in 1996 at $101 million.  Volunteers in Pennsylvania save taxpayers $4.5 billion per year.[3]  Some of the departments represented in the regional workshops indicated that their towns could not afford to hire paid firefighters, and that the services of firefighters would not exist if their departments folded.  Others said that their towns could afford to hire a few paid firefighters, but that volunteers would still be necessary to supplement to paid staff.

            The loss of volunteers would also have more subtle social ramifications.  In many communities, particularly small towns, the volunteer fire department has been a social center.  Volunteer firefighters embody and represent the spirit of the community.  They are often the centerpiece in parades. The loss of the volunteer fire service would be a major social loss for any community.

Recommendations to Address Recruitment and Retention Problems

            Mr. Bush highlighted a number of recommendations to address the recruitment and retention problems nationwide.  Many of these are discussed in detail in the USFA/NVFC publication entitled Final Report on Recruitment and Retention in the Volunteer Fire Service: Problems and Solutions.  His recommendations are included later in this report.

Special Presentation: The 1-800-FIRE LINE National Volunteer Emergency Services Recruitment Campaign

Reade Bush, TriData Corporation

Reade Bush discussed a new nationwide recruitment campaign sponsored by the NVFC called 1-800-FIRE LINE.  The campaign was founded and first implemented in New Jersey in 1994 by a group of Fire Chiefs headed by Ed Cohn, past Chief of the Ramsey, New Jersey Fire Department.  Eighteen states have joined the campaign.  They include: California, Connecticut, Colorado, Delaware, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Maryland, Massachusetts, Missouri, Nebraska, New Jersey, New York, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Texas, Washington, and West Virginia.

The campaign uses several avenues to reach the public: 

·        a professionally-made recruitment video targeting high school students which is mailed to every public and parochial high school and library in states which adopt the campaign New Jersey.

·        road signs that read “Emergency Services Volunteers Needed.  Call 1-800-FIRE LINE.”

·        restaurant trayliners

·        brochures

·        posters

Although the campaign was originally designed to promote fire and EMS volunteerism, its scope has been expanded to include volunteer opportunities in search and rescue and the civil air patrol. The National Volunteer Fire Council adopted the campaign and is encouraging every state to become an active participant.

Impact of the Campaign

According to Chief Cohn, the 1-800-FIRE LINE campaign has been very effective in both New Jersey and Pennsylvania, the first two states to join.  Thousands of New Jersey residents have called the toll free number for information about volunteering since