Posted on Jul 31, 2023
The fraught future of the volunteer firefighting
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Firefighters and fire departments perform a critical service in our communities.
Not only do they prevent and extinguish structural fires, but they also respond to medical emergencies and help mitigate the effects of natural disasters.
That’s why it may come as a shock to you that more than 70 percent of fire departments are staffed by volunteers, according to the U.S. Fire Administration.
Many of these volunteers respond to emergency calls part-time while balancing demanding full-time jobs.
Volunteer fire departments are having to contend with a variety of challenges, including dips in volunteerism and heightened standards for fire and emergency response teams.
All the while, climate emergencies are becoming more frequent and dangerous for all of us – including first responders.
What changes – if any – should the volunteer fire departments make to better support their responders? How does pay complicate the equation? We convene a panel of experts to discuss.
Not only do they prevent and extinguish structural fires, but they also respond to medical emergencies and help mitigate the effects of natural disasters.
That’s why it may come as a shock to you that more than 70 percent of fire departments are staffed by volunteers, according to the U.S. Fire Administration.
Many of these volunteers respond to emergency calls part-time while balancing demanding full-time jobs.
Volunteer fire departments are having to contend with a variety of challenges, including dips in volunteerism and heightened standards for fire and emergency response teams.
All the while, climate emergencies are becoming more frequent and dangerous for all of us – including first responders.
What changes – if any – should the volunteer fire departments make to better support their responders? How does pay complicate the equation? We convene a panel of experts to discuss.
The fraught future of the volunteer firefighting
Posted from the1a.orgPosted in these groups: 
Firefighting
Volunteering
Firefighting Volunteering
Posted 9 mo ago
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PO1 William "Chip" Nagel
..."All the while, climate emergencies are becoming more frequent and dangerous for all of us – including first responders.
What changes – if any – should the volunteer fire departments make to better support their responders?
Deputy Fire Chief of Training at D.C. Fire and EMS Department Tony Kelleher; freelance writer and fire and rescue responder based in New York's Hudson Valley Myke Cole; and Second Vice Chair of the National Volunteer Fire Council, storm chaser, and volunteer at the Brush Volunteer Fire Department in Brush, Colorado Paul Acosta join 1A Guest Host Indira Lakshmanan for the conversation."
..."All the while, climate emergencies are becoming more frequent and dangerous for all of us – including first responders.
What changes – if any – should the volunteer fire departments make to better support their responders?
Deputy Fire Chief of Training at D.C. Fire and EMS Department Tony Kelleher; freelance writer and fire and rescue responder based in New York's Hudson Valley Myke Cole; and Second Vice Chair of the National Volunteer Fire Council, storm chaser, and volunteer at the Brush Volunteer Fire Department in Brush, Colorado Paul Acosta join 1A Guest Host Indira Lakshmanan for the conversation."
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In Sacramento there use to be a Volunteer Dive team called the Drowning Accident Rescue Team (DART). The members were unpaid and all equipment and vehicles were from donations. I was a member for 12 years and responded to 685 calls ranging from drownings, cars into the rivers, boat accidents, aircraft accidents, etc...
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