News and Events

June 27, 2011

VOLUNTEER FIRE FIGHTING - A KEY COMPONENT TO OUR NATION’S SAFETY

By Tim Dean

Our country is blessed with a rich tradition of the volunteer. From philanthropic efforts to provide relief to the poor to compassionate hours spent helping animals in need, our country is truly committed to a deep and wide array of volunteer activities and this time and energy is tremendously rewarding and beneficial to our communities. There is probably no greater example of this volunteer spirit than the fire service. Since our country’s inception, the volunteer fire fighter has been essential to the health, safety and welfare of the citizens of each community in our country – whether a large municipality or a rural hamlet. From great men like George Washington and Thomas Jefferson, the volunteer fire fighter has had a rich example of volunteers who have been willing to make our country great by putting others first and service above self.

There is probably no greater example of this volunteer spirit than the fire service. Since our country’s inception, the volunteer fire fighter has been essential to the health, safety and welfare of the citizens of each community in our country – whether a large municipality or a rural hamlet. From great men like George Washington and Thomas Jefferson, the volunteer fire fighter has had a rich example of volunteers who have been willing to make our country great by putting others first and service above self.

When I worked on my volunteer fire fighting training in our home town, I thought about all of the men and women who have served in our nation’s volunteer force and the tremendous positive implications this spirit of volunteerism has on our country. Interested in knowing more about the volunteer fire fighter, I went to the best resource I know for this great altruistic aspect of our nation’s safety blanket – the National Volunteer Fire Council (NVFC).

Since 1976, the NVFC has been championing the cause of the volunteer fire fighter. I spent some time on the NVFC website at www.nvfc.org and called the NVFC Director of Communications, Kimberly Quiros; I learned a lot about the state of today’s volunteer fire fighter.

In our modern and fast paced world, it is interesting to note that 71% of all fire fighter personnel in our country are volunteers; the services provided to our nation each year by the volunteer fire fighting community saves our country over $128 billion. Despite the tremendous history of the volunteer fire fighter and the significant impact volunteers have on our society as well as the steady increase each year in calls to fire departments across our country, since 1984, the trend unfortunately is a general decline in those willing to engage in the volunteer fire fighting work. Whether this trend is due to keen time constraints, an increase in financial constraints or a combination of these factors and others, the bottom line is that with fewer volunteers, our country will continue to confront increased costs to replace the volunteer; but, more importantly, we will lose a unique, rich and vibrant aspect to our culture.

To combat this decline in volunteerism for fire service, the NVFC is working hard to promote the benefits of the volunteer and to push for public policy that allows citizens to more easily balance the demands of being a volunteer with other aspects of life. For example, the NVFC facilitates the National Junior Firefighter Program, which focuses on getting youth involved in the fire and emergency medical services, fostering a lifelong connection with the emergency services where they can either serve as a firefighter as an adult or become a community supporter of their local fire department.

Another program created by the NVFC is Fire Corps, which connects community members to their local fire/EMS departments to help with non-emergency tasks, thus enabling first responders to focus on training and response activities while still increasing the capacity and services of the department.

There are many other resources available and I encourage you to review them by visiting the NVFC web site listed above or call them at 202-887-5700.

Let’s take an interest in the volunteer fire fighting community in our country and do our part to ensure it remains a key component to our nation’s safety.

About the NVFC:
The National Volunteer Fire Council (NVFC) is the leading nonprofit membership association representing the interests of the volunteer fire, EMS, and rescue services. The NVFC serves as the voice of the volunteer in the national arena and provides invaluable tools, resources, programs, and advocacy for first responders across the nation. Learn more at: www.nvfc.org.