Fire alarm
With the ranks of volunteer firefighters thinning, -departments struggle to keep their communities protectedBy MARLY KOSINSKI Tribune Chronicle
Article Photos
Fact Box
By the numbers
30,635
Estimated number of fire departments in the United States in 2006.
53,200
Estimated number of fire stations in the United States in 2006.
19
Seconds between fire calls somewhere in the United States.
More facts
n Firefighters by age group:
- 16-19, 3.9%
- 20-29, 21.1%
- 30-39, 28.7%
- 40-49, 26.4%
- 50-59, 14.9%
- 60+, 5%
74 percent of career firefighters are in communities that protect a population of 25,000 or more.
95 percent of the volunteers are in departments that protect a population of less than 25,000 and more than 50 percent are located in small, rural departments that protect a population of less than 2,500.
823,950
Estimated number of volunteer firefighters in the U.S. in 2006.
316,950
Career firefighters in the U.S. in 2006.
Getting enough volunteers to man fire stations across Trumbull County is a daily struggle fire officials can agree on. Exactly why departments are seeing fewer and fewer volunteers sign on to help for free is a question that they cannot seem to answer, though.
Some blame it on increased training and educational requirements. Some blame it on a lack of interest.
But probably the most critical problem facing the volunteer fire service is, simply, lack of time, according to the National Volunteer Fire Council.
As the number of single-parent households and two-income families continue to rise, the problem likely will get worse and could force many volunteer departments to close, consolidate or just change the way they do business.
Fire departments in Hartford and Brookfield are proof of that locally.
The two are in discussions about combining fire departments - a dialogue prompted by the large volume of calls Brookfield handled last year for its northern neighbor. Brookfield's two stations are staffed 24 hours a day by a mix of full-time and part-time personnel that also are trained as Emergency Medical Technicians or paramedics.
Hartford has no ambulance service and relies on Brookfield for emergency medical service transports, which comprise the majority of that township's fire calls. Brookfield has 32 paid firefighters and a roster of 12 to 15 volunteers compared to Hartford's pool of 11 volunteers.
Since Hartford has trouble getting volunteers to respond to fire calls during the day, Brookfield firefighters end up responding to those calls as well as the medical transports it already handles.
Problems with daytime response is not unique to Hartford. Members of most departments interviewed said the daytime hours are the hardest to fill, and the problem is magnified for townships that don't have paid staffing and must rely on mutual aid agreements with their neighbors.
Bristol Township started offering 24-7 EMS coverage about five years ago. The department has two part-time people on duty all the time who are either EMTs or paramedics that can respond to fire or medical calls.
Chief Roger French said the department was forced into a paid staffing arrangement because the township was paying other departments for EMS-related calls, especially during the day when volunteers were scarce.
Now, Bloomfield, Mesopotamia and West Farmington contract with Bristol for EMT service, but with only two people on duty at any given time, the department still has to call other departments if there is a fire.
French said the township has had a volunteer fire department since the mid-1940s and had an active roster of 25 volunteers 10 years ago. Now, there are about 12, and French said the response depends on work schedules and family obligations.
''The era of volunteering is coming to an end. Not just in the fire service, but in general. Young people don't have the time and the old-timers are dying off,'' French said.
Cortland fire Chief Bill Novakovich said the department has a handful of volunteers, which is about the same as five years ago. He said the volunteers are called out if there are multiple calls or if there is a large structure fire.
''Their schedule plays a big role because so many of the volunteers have jobs outside the fire service,'' he said.
Bazetta fire Lt. Brian Taylor said the township used to have volunteer firefighters, but they started getting paid per call within the past decade. Budget woes have led to layoffs in the department, leaving Bazetta with nine full-time firefighters and no part-timers.
Taylor said the volunteers have filtered away over the years, and the department could use them since the layoffs, but the union contract won't allow volunteers to be used when there are paid firefighters on furlough.
Add into that, a bill signed into law in January 2007 that beefs up the education and training requirements for firefighters, whether they are volunteer or paid, and the challenge to find qualified firefighters becomes even more difficult.
Previously, firefighters were certified for life once they completed all their training and education. The new law requires firefighters to take 18 hours of continuing education per year in order to keep their certification, which must be renewed every three years.
Taylor said the new requirements coupled with family and work obligations means less volunteers stepping up and less availability for the ones that do.
Tom Bumgardner, vice president of the Station 47 Fireman's Association in Warren Township, said the association is a private fire company paid per month by trustees. The money, approximately $3,000, comes from the general fund and pays for fire prevention programs, training and education for volunteers.
He said the department started its paid EMS service in 1996, with personnel available for medical or fire calls from 8 a.m. until midnight. Starting in September, the department will offer service until 4 a.m. and will have to rely on neighboring departments for the remaining four hours.
Bumgardner said the volunteers are supposed to respond to fire calls first and the paid staff is supposed to respond only after a second tone is sounded. He said the first tone goes unanswered most of the time, leaving the paid staff to respond.
''Nobody's banging down the door to volunteer anymore. Most people in the fire service have two, three, four jobs,'' he said.
And it's the multiple-job nature of the fire service that causes response problems as well.
Southington Fire Chief Tom Strock said the department started in 1949 and it's always been volunteer-based. He said there are about 40 volunteers and the number has fluctuated by six people over the past several years, with a high of 48 and a low of 30.
He said the daytime hours pose a staffing problem for the volunteers who work outside the fire service in professional fields such as teachers, lawyers or accountants. However, Strock said the overnight shifts are a problem with volunteers who work other fire service jobs because most departments work on a 24-hour schedule.
House Bill 203, which took effect in March 2001, has made it easier for firefighters with regular day jobs to respond because the legislation makes it illegal for employers to fire or discipline employees who volunteer in the fire service if they miss work or are late because they were dispatched to an emergency.
Strock said eventually, the department will have to become a paid service because of the volume of calls it receives. He said the department made 432 runs last year and at 500, a volunteer department is stretched to its limit.
However, Southington is one of a handful of northwest townships looking into forming a fire district and Strock said he sees his department getting caught up in that before it is forced into a paid structure like Bristol was five years ago.
Fowler started paid-per-call EMS service in March for a six-month trial period. Chief Fred Yungbluth said two part-time firefighter/EMTs or firefighter/paramedics are on duty from 6:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., which is typically the hardest time to get volunteer response.
He said the department went to a paid structure because most of the firefighters have a second job and it was difficult to get volunteers when they could get paid at a different department for doing the same work.
One department that seems to be an anomaly when it comes to volunteer firefighters is Howland. Chief George Brown said he has 27 volunteers, adding 18 in the past year thanks to a successful recruitment drive.
He said volunteers must complete the 36-hour basic firefighter course, but most have completed the 130-hour EMT course as well. He said volunteers must be 18, undergo a physical exam and make it through a screening process conducted by the Howland Volunteer Fire Department, Inc.
Brown said the volunteer organization is contracted by the trustees, with the money used for training, education and workers compensation. He said some volunteers are content to stay that way depending on their day jobs, but most want to be career firefighters and the volunteer program is used as a recruitment tool.
He said he believes the lack of volunteer firefighters has less to do with the required training and education and more to do with the time commitment.
''I think it's more of a change in our culture. Children are involved with more activities, most families have both parents working, and there are a lot of single parents with multiple jobs. That doesn't leave much time for volunteering. But those who do it, really love the job. It's in their blood,'' Brown said.
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DeerHunter08
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10-24-08 10:12 AM
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I know how hard it is to get firefighters during the day and just in general. It is an awesome job, but we need to get youth because the firefighters now wont stay for ever. It is not a hobby anymore, it is a full time job even for volunteers, thats why no one wants to but they need to because it is an awesome career to get into!
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VoiceOfReason
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09-03-08 11:39 PM
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I don't get the point about being in it for the light and siren. Is this suggesting that there is some intrinsic benefit to having a flashing light? Does someone get to the grocery store faster by getting this benefit? I don't get it. It's about the job, not a flashing light that is only good if you are on a call, and otherwise useless.
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mdb615
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09-03-08 9:12 AM
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one more funny thing, even though he runs all these volunteer calls, runs out on me and the kids at a drop of a dime, when the vol dept was looking to hire ppl...the trustees really passed him up lol and hired ppl from outside the community. Passed up him and a couple others! We have had so many disagreements about him running out of here like that when i knew no one else would show, He's good enough to volunteer but not good enough to pay i guess. He loves that fire station he truly does, he is very proud to be a ff/emt and his heart is always in it. I'd have told them where to go lol but even after they did that...he will still jump out of bed at 4am and run a call, even the unnecessary ones. He's been taggin along on those calls since he was old enough to join, even when he wasnt qualified to do much, he was still there to help in any way he could. Thats the appreciation our volunteers get around here! Pretty sad!
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mdb615
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09-03-08 9:00 AM
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My b/f is a vol. ff/emt. several nights i sit here and listen to that pager go off, sometimes third tones and no response, and more than enough times these ppl died under false security not realizing no one responds to these calls. until recently he was not an emt and couldnt run them he sat at the station alone at almost every call waiting for someone else to show up who never did. I cant blame vol. for not going, I think it would be nice if their efforts were some how acknowledged, maybe more ppl would show. I also feel a lot of ff/emt are only in it for the light and siren. and some who are actually getting paid will sit and complain about the hrs, but milk the last call of the night so they dont have to run another, that REALLY heated me. thats not wanting to help ppl. i wish we had better training and ppl who are there for the right reasons! the whole system needs restructured and they should be appreciated more and compensated if not with $, then in other ways by the community.
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VoiceOfReason
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09-02-08 11:12 PM
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38131 - If you don't like your name on here, use something anonymous instead of something obvious. PS. Who is the Chief at Mecca, who is obviously station 38, right? Mecca 38 - that was a low blow. Remember that to publically call out your fellow comrade means he's free to do the same. Both - you may want to pick up the phone and talk instead of air your dirty laundry for everyone. Doesn’t look good for a chief or volunteer.
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VoiceOfReason
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09-02-08 11:05 PM
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SimplyPut - If you're referring to my comment, and I assume you are, then you site the union as a problem as I suspected. Get rid of the union if it's a problem. Vote it out. I don't see a reason for a union in a public service job. Regarding the county wide program - yes I believe it will help. Reading the numerous articles over that past year (e.g. the Hartford FD article), I don't see why this strategy wouldn't be considered, and include the police departments while at it (e.g. Johnston) since they are facing the same problems. The communities still contribute the same, only the workforce can be distributed based on need.
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SimplyPut
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09-02-08 12:18 PM
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It is getting harder to fill trucks for daytime calls, but I don't feel a county wide service is the answer. The union firefighter is chasing the volunteer out of some departments with the attitude. If we went county wide, would they be non union? Who would pay those salaries and benefits? Not going to happen.
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ProudFF
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09-02-08 10:58 AM
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What makes Volunteers look even worse is when someone is only in it for a light and siren. I've been with 4 VFD's and never even cared about a light, siren or a radio. I love running as a volunteer with my dept. My chief's and our EMS Coordinator take care of our personal weather it's a personal or professional problem!! I've always looked up to all my officers and senior FF's because without them I would not be the person I am today!!!
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firefiter38131
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09-01-08 11:18 PM
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and allso i do not like ppl useing my name on hear
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firefiter38131
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09-01-08 11:18 PM
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and allso i do not like ppl useing my name on hear
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firefiter38131
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09-01-08 11:04 PM
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well you know what i reason i said anything about it was some one out there does not know how to keep there mouth shut about thing and its only been like a month that i have not ben on southington fire.... and as far as mecca goes i grow up around that staion and i love that place to death.. just becuz some popple up there do not like me.. is the reson i am not on there anymore.. its bad when u have a ff liveing right beside the fire deptment and you can not let them on the deptment. and they have to go out side the twp to be on a fire deptment i think is realy bad.. but what do i know there are roomers going around this county about me all ready way not anymore.....
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mecca38
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09-01-08 12:47 PM
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giapeta- Mecca Fire Dept.would like everyone to know that firefiter38131 (Randy Kellar) has not been a member of our dept since 2004. We are in no way responsible for the comments he makes. Chief 38
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VoiceOfReason
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09-01-08 11:33 AM
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I've stated this about the police forces, and the same is true of the fire departments, but it is time to look at consolidating the fire department forces and create a county wide service instead of individual community services. In essence, this is already happening.
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VoiceOfReason
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09-01-08 11:29 AM
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The last role models for volunteering were JFK, who called the citizens to community service in one of the most famous presidential speeches ever. Jimmy Carter still builds homes for habitat for humanity. The youngstown / warren area was just recognized in a nation-wide study saying the area was at the bottom of the list for volunteer engagements. This is just another example of that. But, compounded by the restrictions of the unions (dead society).
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VoiceOfReason
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09-01-08 11:25 AM
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Bazetta - sounds like another example of a union running something (a business really) into the ground with too much control and restrictions. You'll close soon too, at the expense of the community.
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giapeta
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08-31-08 6:45 PM
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firefiter38131 seriously, how long has it been since you have been on the Southington Fire Department? Are we really going to bash a department for say that they have any number of volunteers, whether they are a 86 y/o charter member or a 19 y/o that just joined? I can't believe that anyone in this county would bash any department. We are suppose to be a brotherhood of people that stick together not bash one another. The Mecca Fire Department should be embarrassed to have you as a member and make that comment. And to answer your question, yes, there are about 40 members on the Southington Fire Department, but who cares again what they do. A volunteer is a volunteer, and I am not going to tell the only remaining charter member of the Southington Fire Department that he is no longer welcome. Apparently couth is not a part of your vocabulary.
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firefiter38131
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08-31-08 4:00 PM
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WELL TO TELL YOU ONE THING I WAS ON SOUTHINGTON FIRE AND THERE ARE NOT 40 MEMBERS ON THERE DEPTMENT THAT RUN CALLS.MOST OF THEM ARE OLD MEMBERS THAT RETIRED FROM THE FIRE STAION AND JUST STAYED ON THERE
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TBTBTB
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08-31-08 1:32 PM
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I don't think this points to a lack of people wanting to volunteer, but moreso a business climate that makes them unable to volunteer. I've had friends who were on departments that had to stop because their employers did not allow them to leave work.
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BLKPNTHR67
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08-31-08 11:48 AM
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"Me first" will never fight a fire next to a fireperson making x dollars & another job on the side,til their house is burning. Start burning vacant homes & require the neighbors to watch.
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pahootaman
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08-31-08 11:27 AM
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I agree. I would also add that this culture of "me first" that the younger generation has, hurts voluntering. When I donate my time at the Cleveland City Mission, I'm the only person there under the age 65. I can't think of any role models that stress volunteering either.
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gardiner
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08-31-08 10:42 AM
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It's simple, really. We no longer have a culture that encourages community and volunteering. In part this is due to technology which allows us to operate in our own worlds when we are not at work.
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