Volunteer fire departments struggle

BIG SPRINGS, Neb. (AP) — Simple numbers were working against the fire and rescue department in this town of 400 along Interstate 80. Unbeknownst to six people in a Suburban that had just wrecked on the busy interstate, the math didn’t favor them either.

“We only had enough people to run one ambulance,” said Adam Hayward, an emergency medical technician with Big Springs Fire & Rescue. “We have two, but a lot of times we don’t have enough people to run them.”

The fire chief called for help from a volunteer department in nearby Julesburg, Colo., and there were no life-threatening injuries. But the 13-mile drive, which normally adds 20-30 minutes to the response time, highlighted a growing problem that may be compromising public safety, especially in rural areas: Volunteer fire and rescue departments nationwide are struggling with declining membership, increased costs and changing attitudes toward a vocation with roots dating to the early 1700s.

State and federal lawmakers are taking action to help reverse the trend because volunteers are often the first responders to events ranging from floods to fires, and some say the shortage presents a looming crisis.

“In some communities out there, it’s the volunteer fire department or nothing,” said U.S. Fire Administrator Gregory Cade.

Volunteer fire and rescue personnel represent 72 percent of the nation’s 1.1 million firefighters. More than 50 percent of volunteers are associated with departments that cover areas with populations of less than 2,500, according to the U.S. Fire Administration.

Between 1984 and 2006, the number of volunteers nationwide fell by 8 percent, or nearly 74,000, according to information from the National Fire Protection Association.

During the same period, the number of emergency calls to paid and volunteer departments doubled. The statistics don’t break down the increase based on department, but volunteer chiefs say they’re busier than ever.

Fire officials blame the staffing decline on several factors, including increased family demands, employers who are less sympathetic toward community concerns, and regulations that require volunteers to take up to 200 hours’ worth of training before they can start fighting fires.

Also, with so many other activities available, the local fire hall is becoming less of a social hub for small communities.

“There’s more recreation, there’s Internet, there’s cable TV,” said Sam Love, a former volunteer fire chief who now lobbies for the West Virginia Firemen’s Association.

Those distractions also may be contributing to reports of volunteers’ not responding to their pagers. Others may be reluctant to be rustled out of bed at night, their employers won’t let them leave work or they are more selective on which calls to respond to.

Fire Chief Tim McDonald used to be able to count on a dozen or more volunteers from his Mt. Clare, W.Va., department to respond to fire and medical calls.

But now, “sometimes you just don’t have anybody to go, especially during the day,” he said.

This year, Colorado lawmakers passed a law barring employers from firing or disciplining employees who leave work to respond to emergencies. Nebraska lawmakers passed a law this year that bars employers from punishing employees who arrive at work late because they have responded to emergencies.

Separate bills pending in Congress would give volunteers greater tax exemptions for mileage and help departments with fuel costs.