Whenever I have an opportunity to visit another area, whether on vacation or traveling for other reasons, I always enjoy meeting other firefighters.  I’ve learned so many things from visiting fire stations in other parts of the state and country, and I’ve also met a lot of great people.  Often, as a part of the first few minutes of conversation, the inevitable question comes up: “Are you a career firefighter, or a volunteer?” 

Being the passionate volunteer that I am, I typically respond by smiling, and saying something along the lines of “I’m a PROUD volunteer!  And, you?”.  Now, as I write this, I know that many others have had this same interaction.  And, I have to admit that at this awkward moment, I usually enjoy the reaction that I receive. 

As firefighters, we work very hard to view career and volunteer firefighters as equals.  We have been taught, over many years of training, that one is not more or less valued than the other.  But, in some ways, it seems as though there has been a nationwide effort to move away from the term volunteer- as though there is something that is negative about the classification.  We’ve even worked hard as a service to develop replacement phrases to supplement this term, such as “on stipend”, “paid on call” and “paid per call”.  In some areas, it’s almost taboo to say the “V” word.  This isn’t the case in every area, of course.  But, we've become fragmented.  In some places, firefighters and departments are so proud of their volunteer status that they place the word volunteer in their department’s official name and on the sides of their trucks and stations. 

I’ve often wondered about the driving forces that make us move away from our use of this word, and how broadly our ranks have embraced some of the alternative terms used for volunteers.  Of course, there are political pressures, a culture shift in our service away from a social club focus, the differing local perceptions of volunteers, and the reputations of prior local volunteers.  This recent shift departs from a tradition and terminology that has been in place since the beginning of the fire service.   

This is even more interesting when we take a look at the way that firefighters are compensated, or not compensated, for their work.   The way that we classify a firefighter’s contribution to our service, for employment or tax purposes, has direct impacts on their ability to serve.  There have been conflicts for years about the way that we define the role of a firefighter.  Even today, there are differing definitions about what it means to be a volunteer, and some are defined in the International Association of Fire Chiefs (IAFC) Volunteer and Combination Officers Section (VCOS) publication “Managing Volunteer Firefighters for FLSA Compliance”.  This document is a great resource for understanding the nuances of these classifications.

The Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) considers a volunteer to be a person that “receives no compensation or is paid expenses, reasonable benefits, OR a nominal fee to perform the services for which the individual volunteered” (and, these services are not the same services they provide in employment for the same agency).  All of the ways that volunteers are paid, whether paid per call, paid on call, or paid with a stipend, can qualify a firefighter as a volunteer based on this. 

There are a lot of legal details here, as you can imagine, but the point of contention has been around what a “nominal fee” really is.  In 2006, the Department of Labor defined the 20 percent rule, stating that as long as firefighters are making 20 percent or less of the total compensation for a full-time position for comparable services, the firefighter is a volunteer.

When we think about it like this, the term volunteer is really an umbrella that covers all of these other classifications.  It's just a staffing method for the job of a firefighter.  “Paid per call”, “paid on call”, “on stipend”, “hourly”, and all of the other variations that we use are really just subsets of the term “volunteer”.

Every department is dealing with different pressures and challenges, and our modern fire service is fighting for public support and funding every day.  We all work very hard to make our departments the best that they can be, and to help the public see us in the best possible light.  In the areas where alternative classifications are used for volunteers, I know that these terms are used for exactly this reason.  And, it’s important for these firefighters to keep the support and respect of their communities.

When I think of this trend though, I think about how much tradition we carry in the word "volunteer".  In a service rooted in tradition, with modern volunteer professionals that stand on the shoulders of those that came before us, we have a responsibility to carry the torch for our volunteer brothers.  Our volunteerism dates back to the 1700s in the U.S., and even earlier internationally.  So, keep taking pride in considering yourself a volunteer, even if you’re defined as “paid per call”, “on stipend”, “paid on call”, or any of the other alternatives.  Remember, these alternatives have a purpose, but they are still just classifications under the umbrella of volunteers!

There’s really nothing wrong with the “V” word, and it carries the pride of generations.  By carrying that forward, we’re trusted with a precious thing.  Today’s volunteer professionals can elevate our service to the next level.  From firefighter to firefighter, regardless of the way that we are paid, volunteers will always be volunteers. 

Don’t forget to show that volunteer pride.