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Lack of Volunteer's readily available
Over the years we all have seen memberships grow and decrease. Since the late 70's we have had the woman or wife figure go from being a home maker to having to obtain full time employment in the work force. Throughout the coming years the fire service has suffered immensely through the change in the American economy. Now heavily dependant on two incomes to survive, it leaves far less time for a member of a household to respond to calls, and the training regiment required of a firefighter.
Ever changing with the economy was the ever changing grant process. Face it, we as firefighter's try to shake every tree for a little money for equipment and to keep replacing the apparatus we use to stay current. The ability to start a pay per call system is always a great thought, but the absolute lack of grants available is terrible. Tax districts can't afford to raise taxes beyond the tax payers means, or your faced with even further mutiny by them.
Smaller fire departments with smaller budgets tend to have a lot of family bases in them. Family history in a particular FD is common. Without the influx of the new family into the fire service I fear that the ever growing lack of interest into volunteer firefighting is going to lead to the demise of smaller companies without the tax basis to impliment the programs to retain and sustain the membership rolls.
What we need is a course of action. Politicians all say there are plenty of grants available. As well this is correct, there are a lot of flaws. The Assistance to Firefighters grants when they first came out were abundant in money, and also applications. The application process was relitively easy but long, but in the long run there was money to go around. As always in our REACTIVE political society, we (the firefighters) took a hit by congress and every year are faced with less money, and a growing list of applicants. We all try for the money to improve our safety through new PPE, SCBA, Thermal Imagry Camera's, or apparatus. Again, methods of getting and retaining volunteers is left on a back burner. The extra grant requirements of "match grants" where you match a percentage of the grant you are applying for if you receive it is a great idea, and well embraced. (by companies that have the money to match the funds) Lets face it if a company has the abilty to match $200,000 towards a huge grant, maybe the grant was better suited for a less fortunate company.
In closing, I think we as firefighters need to do something about the issue. It isn't fair that we put our lives, our family's sanity, and our job's on hold to protect the lives and property of the residents and visitors of our respective locations, and in turn take budget cuts, no funding, and no way to get new volunteers or retain them. Congress needs to specifically address the issue, to ensure we as firefighters have EVERY tool we need, EVERY opportunity to enhance our memberships, and EVERY opportunity to ensure these members have a reason to stay. It may take time and money, but where will America be without volunteer firefighters?
Ever changing with the economy was the ever changing grant process. Face it, we as firefighter's try to shake every tree for a little money for equipment and to keep replacing the apparatus we use to stay current. The ability to start a pay per call system is always a great thought, but the absolute lack of grants available is terrible. Tax districts can't afford to raise taxes beyond the tax payers means, or your faced with even further mutiny by them.
Smaller fire departments with smaller budgets tend to have a lot of family bases in them. Family history in a particular FD is common. Without the influx of the new family into the fire service I fear that the ever growing lack of interest into volunteer firefighting is going to lead to the demise of smaller companies without the tax basis to impliment the programs to retain and sustain the membership rolls.
What we need is a course of action. Politicians all say there are plenty of grants available. As well this is correct, there are a lot of flaws. The Assistance to Firefighters grants when they first came out were abundant in money, and also applications. The application process was relitively easy but long, but in the long run there was money to go around. As always in our REACTIVE political society, we (the firefighters) took a hit by congress and every year are faced with less money, and a growing list of applicants. We all try for the money to improve our safety through new PPE, SCBA, Thermal Imagry Camera's, or apparatus. Again, methods of getting and retaining volunteers is left on a back burner. The extra grant requirements of "match grants" where you match a percentage of the grant you are applying for if you receive it is a great idea, and well embraced. (by companies that have the money to match the funds) Lets face it if a company has the abilty to match $200,000 towards a huge grant, maybe the grant was better suited for a less fortunate company.
In closing, I think we as firefighters need to do something about the issue. It isn't fair that we put our lives, our family's sanity, and our job's on hold to protect the lives and property of the residents and visitors of our respective locations, and in turn take budget cuts, no funding, and no way to get new volunteers or retain them. Congress needs to specifically address the issue, to ensure we as firefighters have EVERY tool we need, EVERY opportunity to enhance our memberships, and EVERY opportunity to ensure these members have a reason to stay. It may take time and money, but where will America be without volunteer firefighters?
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Engineco913 on
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Resurfacing this issue since now with our mighty recession (and the election days away) it is again time to start with the political angle.
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Permalink Reply by Kimberly A Bownas on
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Our problem in my town is that now most of the people are from the city and are only here on weekends and if they are here all the time they don't want to volunteer their time fighting fires. That is just gross to them. But you are right Mike about both people having to work, I am now working 2 days a week and then I do have 2 young children at home and aren't old enough to stay by themselves yet. My husband and I have to take turns and all.
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Permalink Reply by Allen Green on
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wow this is an interesting topic
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Permalink Reply by lutan1 on
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A few have mentioned tax breaks and discounts for volunteers, however the issue I have with this, is all the "wanna be's" that will join just for the incentives.
For example, here in Vic, Aus, our CFA claims to have 58,000 volunteers- I can assure you that a HUGE number are non active and in many cases, not even capable of responding for a whole host of reasons. Those numbers are guaranteed to swell if you introduce incentives which ends up creating a whole raft of other issues....
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Provided it's active service with measurable requirements, then I'd agree...
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The way our incentive program runs is you must attend a minimum of 50% of all training per quarter (NO exceptions) and make at least 30% of total calls (there is a mathamatical formula they use to deduct a percentage for working hours) per quarter you qualify for incentive pay per quarter. There is a block sum per year established for incentive. If you miss by 1 training, too bad. Miss by 1 call, too bad.
We do quite well for all calls but most departments have an issue with daytime personnel due to the most common working time.
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The YOC strap that they mandate is a little off kilter. In all reality if you have a firefighter down, what is the probability you are going to find them, turn them over (if needed) go behind their SCBA, open the velcro hatch the strap is in, and pull the strap out? The SCBA backframe makes a bitchin drag mechanism and the straps usually hold well. Having them in a sitting position will ensure a smoother drag. This is a worst case scenerio of course. Adreneline, heat, smoke, and a dangerous condition (trapped, collapse, hole in the floor), voices on the radio yelling directions. Will you remember to look for the strap?
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I also want to add that if it weren't for programs like Hancock Hope (Dan Macakanja is the president and a member of FFN) there would be even more departments who couldn't pass the buck. It is up to us to protect our own. Getting new gear? Why throw away the old PPE if it is still good, just not up to snuff with design and look? If it is compliant still, (with the exception of the strap since it's compliant for the date of manufacture) why not donate it to those department less fortunate? Hancock Hope strives to assist those in need be it from natural disaster, (hense their namesake from Hancock County Mississippi area they provided essential assistance to after Hurricane Katrina) and also through transferring gear donated to those departments in true need.
Contact Dan if you have ANYTHING firefighting related (no not collectables) that could benefit another brother or sister firefighter across the country and beyond.
If we all stick together, we will make it through these hard times. Until the sun shines on the other side of this political turmoil, this recession, and this economic nightmare we are all that each other have.
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Permalink Reply by Jenny Holderby on
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I served on the board of directors for a non-profit organization called Helping Our Owna few years ago. We were formed by Mark Warnick who in his own time and on his own money & through donations to enable him to do it, collected used fire equipment either picking it up and taking it to where it needed to go or by connecting officers from both companies so they could make it happen themselves. Mark collected people willing to help him in his efforts along the way. He and I had more than one discussion on why people with no equipment and no PPE tried to call themselves a fire department. Three of us met in DC, Mark, Lou Molino & myself to give a presentation to congressional members and/or their staff members. It wasn't IN Congress or in the congressional record but we had a pretty good audience including some press. Congress agrees that we need money for equipment. USFA tries to make the awards as fair as possible in administering the grant funds. Yes they have cut the amount of funding available and it goes quickly. They need to appropriate more funding equal to the first couple of years or more. They are aware of the need. We made them aware BEFORE the hurricanes, before 9-1-1. While I was in DC I visited the offices of congressmen from MY state. As a group the three of us visited several more offices and talked to anyone we could corner who could do any thing for firefighters. Mark spent weeks there campaigning for the fire service.
Helping Our Own worked to send equipment to the areas hit hardest by the hurricanes. http://firechief.com/news/Helping_Own_Katrina
HOO worked to get computers in fire stations that couldn't afford them otherwise and worked up training materials on CDs to get at least that much information to them. I say "we" because there were @ least 14 of us on the "board" working with others to get volunteer representatives if not in every state @ least in a region forming a web across much of the country. We were branching out, getting support until unfortunately we found the proverbial "gift horse". We became involved with another organization we were convinced could help us help our own by using their existing resources. I'm not sure that this fiasco is over yet, there was litigation against the owner/president of that organization in several states so I won't say anymore than to add that company very tidily & legaly took over everything we had worked for & started selling the equipment that had been collected waiting to be shipped to where it could be of help to others.
HOO organizers & BOA - we were called a board of advisors by this time, had been replaced with people who they said were professionals @ fund raising for non-profit and charitable organizations. We went along with it although reluctantly but thought it was better for HOO. When we found out what was happening we protested & tried to take back what was literally stolen from HOO. We were basically told that there was nothing we could do about it. We disband HOO. Each of us resigned. I didn't want my name affiliated with what the organization had become, none of us did. You will find very little reference to the former organization anywhere. Another organization was later formed with some of the former people in the back ground, using only our contacts to help gather more equipment and try to continue the mission. http://www.fireaidusa.org/
I wish Dan luck and hope that his operation is successful. Be careful, there are people out there who will make you believe they are working with you but are only concerned with their own personal gain.
People, even if you don't send used equipment to another state, you can find other departments who would be very happy to have your cast offs in your own state. There are depts right here in our county and neighboring counties that we donate equipment to. T
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This is a great point as well. Sometimes the departments that are in such need can be your local department next door. Although pride is a major issue, I am sure they could overlook pride for some boots to replace their boots with tears, ortheir gloves that have holes. If I am not mistaken, gloves and helmets are the two hardest pieces of turnout PPE to get.
As I stated above, it doesn't take much efforst to make a call and ask if there is a department who needs (fill in the number) pairs of boots since yours are all being replaced, or (fill in the number here) helmets, or (fill in the number) feet of hose. All the little donations always add up and before you know it, Hancock Hope, HOO,fireaidusa, and other organizations like them have the ability to put these donations in transit to those who need them most.
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Permalink Reply by T.J. on
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We've tried the explorer program and did not seem to get much out of it, we're not hurting for members but we're just not seeing the interest like we used to, maybe it's the money or the time it takes to become a FF.
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Something to help insite more youths to join your department is to approach the town to impose a mandate for 10 hours of community service PER year of high school as a stipulation of graduation. This instills a sense of giving to students that they will hopefully carry over beyond their high school years. There have been great results in my area for all of the volunteer organizations and the Hospital.
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