Firefighters Still Lack Volunteers

SHANNON McCAFFREY
Associated Press Writer

WASHINGTON (AP) -- Respect and admiration for firefighters has surged since Sept. 11, but that has not translated into more people joining the depleted ranks of volunteer departments.

We haven't seen the increase that we need. It's disappointing,'' said Heather Schafer, executive director of the National Volunteer Fire Council.

The attacks served to remind the public about the dangerous work and heroic efforts firefighters undertake daily.

Since then, Fire Department of New York baseball hats and T-shirts have become ubiquitous and firefighter charities raked in donations. New York and some other large cities that already had a long waiting list of applicants saw even more people apply.

Volunteer fire departments were hopeful all the attention, coupled with President Bush's call to public service, would help end a general decline in recruits over the past 20 years. It hasn't.

There have been no more calls than usual to a toll-free recruiting hot line set up before Sept. 11, Schafer said. The group considered a more aggressive public relations campaign but worried it could be seen as exploiting the Sept. 11 tragedy.

Most Americans are protected by paid fire departments, though the vast majority of fire departments still are volunteer. 19,224 out of a total of 26,354 departments. They generally serve rural and suburban areas.

According to the National Volunteer Fire Council, the ranks have dropped by 12 percent since a record high in 1983, from 884,600 to 777,350 in 2000  the most recent year for which statistics are available.

Some firehouses have closed, their forces consolidating with neighboring departments to save money and shore up manpower, said Marko Bourne, spokesman for the U.S. Fire Administration.

In some cases that could lead to delayed response time with firehouses covering more ground in rural areas, Bourne said. The fire administration, part of the Federal Emergency Management Agency, oversees training, technology, education and data.

James Heim, executive director of the Minnesota State Fire Chiefs Association, said with their numbers shrinking, volunteers can feel overburdened and that can lead to burnout.

``You've got less people responding to more calls. That takes a toll,'' he said.

The reasons for the decline vary but the main cause seems to be that people are devoting more time to their jobs.

Many residents do not work in the towns where they live, so they cannot respond to an alarm. Those with jobs in their communities often do not have the time required to volunteer.

We're competing against long hours at work, time with the kids, school activities, church, television,'' said Phil Stittleburg, chief of the volunteer department in LaFarge, Wis.

While free time is shrinking, the required training time for volunteer firefighters to learn about everything from hazardous materials to terrorism threats is increasing, Schafer said.

In the mid-1960s, 30 hours of basic training was required. Volunteer firefighters now must have 100 hours to 150 hours of basic training, with 75 hours to 120 additional hours needed to be certified for emergency medical care and a 10 hours to 25 hours more of mandated hazardous materials training. Many states stipulate that certain training be repeated every five years or so.

Volunteer fire houses also must spend a sizable amount of time fund-raising to purchase equipment that is getting more expensive.

It takes a lot of bingo games and barbecues to buy a $750,000 ladder truck,'' said Jim Williams, president of the Firemen's Association of New York State.

More federal grant money for equipment and training could help. The program, which the Bush administration once had on the chopping block, was expanded from $100 million to $360 million in the current fiscal year, said a spokesman for Rep. Bill Pascrell, D-N.J., who proposed the grants. Congress has authorized $900 million for the next fiscal year but it remains to be seen whether the money will materialize.

The National Volunteer Fire Council also is lobbying for legislation that would reduce interest rates for mortgages and provide other mortgage assistance for volunteer firefighters.

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