The following article was written by Tiger Schmittendorf who is chairman of FASNY’s Recruitment and Retention Committee and serves the County of Erie Department of Emergency Services (Buffalo NY) as Deputy Fire Coordinator. He created a recruitment effort that doubled his own fire department’s membership and helped net 525+ new volunteers countywide. He is a Nationally Certified Fire Instructor and has been a firefighter since 1980. Visit his blog at www.tigerschmittendorf.com.

As I travel around the country talking with other firefighters, a commonly recurring theme of our chat is the future of the volunteer fire service.

The conversation always comes around to the topic of today’s firefighters and the next generation of firefighters. Some “more experienced” firefighters (notice I didn’t use the term older) share that they don’t understand the “kids” coming into the fire service today.

The veterans don’t think today’s recruits share the same values as those who are currently leading us. And they certainly don’t have the same appreciation for the traditions and discipline of the fire service. Community service is not in their blood as it is in ours. Or at least that’s their complaint.

The first question I ask is: Whose fault is that? Have we failed as parents, role models and mentors?

My second question is a more important challenge: Who better? Who better to re-instill the values of the fire service that have made it and America great? Who better to bring back the principles our communities need?

I then ask you: If not us, who?

“Reality Check: Understand them or not, like them or not – they are the future of the fire service. The reality is that there is no other generation from a parallel universe about to swoop down and save the volunteer fire service. They are it. Get over it. Get on with it.”

The fire service was built on the values of pride, honor, loyalty, trustworthiness, integrity and community service. Last time I checked, that’s exactly why the American public trusts nobody, no other profession more than they trust firefighters – nobody.

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Cumberland County
Fire companies struggling to get volunteers
Local fire companies struggle to identify ways to attract, keep volunteer firefighters
By Becca Gregg, Sentinel Reporter, April 4, 2010

With spring heating up and summer right around the corner, local fire companies are gearing up for yet another season of ever-increasing volunteer shortages and losses.

Formerly a thriving activity, officials say volunteer numbers have slipped in recent years with shifting priorities and increasing family and time constraints.

In an attempt to recruit new members, fire companies across the region have upped the ante and are offering incentives to both attract and retain volunteer firefighters.

From gift cards to retirement packages, the term “volunteer” has taken on an entirely new meaning.

Why the shortage?

According to Deputy Fire Chief Mark Farrell of the Monroe Township Volunteer Fire Company, membership numbers have been hit hard by changing times.

“In general, when our parents were kids and when our grandparents were kids, there was more of a community atmosphere. It was easier to have people available than it is today,” he says. “Most of us have so many obligations on us today that it’s hard to get people to take the extra time. Something like the volunteer service, you really have to spend a lot of time to be trained and be beneficial.”

And despite declining membership, the amount of training required by the state is seemingly on a constant rise.

“The training it takes just to be an entry-level firefighter is right around 220 hours just to go in and do the basic,” Upper Allen Township Fire Chief Jim Salter says. “Those hours on top of just learning about the fire station is very time consuming and it takes a lot of time up that you don’t have.”

Adds Farrell, “When you’re at your (day) job you can spend eight hours a day with someone. In a volunteer company, we train a few hours a week, and when the pager goes off there’s not a lot of time to sit down and talk about it. You don’t want to lose somebody in the wayside.”

In addition to the level of commitment, Salter says, the age of court battles and widespread lawsuits has opened up a new can of liability that many people don’t want to risk.

“When you join a volunteer fire department, you’re opened up to a lot of scrutiny. Some of it’s unwarranted, some of it is deserved,” Salter says, adding, “It’s kind of scary that when you get called into court for something and you have the chance of being put under the microscope. You run the risk of getting in bigger trouble.”

The 2010 Assistance to Firefighters Grant program will be opening in the next several weeks. Workshops for the AFG program are now being held. There will be a workshop held at the Old Lycoming Township Fire Department 1600 Dewey Avenue and will begin at 6PM. There will also be a workshop at the Perry (NY) F.D. Rec. Bldg.(located in the Village Park) 67 Buckland Avenue Contact: Mike Laraby, 585.410.4546, This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it for more information. This workshop will begin at 6:30PM. All of the workshops utilize the same Power Point presentation. The presentation will also be available online at http://www.firegrantsupport.com in the near future.

At this time the 2010 guidance information has not yet been released. This is expected to be available sometime after April 12th at the earliest. We will pass along any further information we receive as soon as it is available.

ATTENTION to the Hebron Township Residents of North Hebron Township (phone prefix 698 or previous 698)

At our April 1, 2010 meeting, a decision was made by the Hebron Township Board of Supervisors to switch Fire & Emergency Protection Coverage from Shinglehouse Volunteer Fire Department and Shinglehouse Volunteer Ambulance Association to Coudersport Volunteer Fire Department and Coudersport Volunteer Ambulance Association. This decision was reached after much discussion and deliberation based on a significant requested increase by Shinglehouse Volunteer Fire Department.

Any questions, please contact Chairman, Jerry Lambert at (814) 698-2140 or Secretary, Karin Karr at (814) 274-7306.

HEBRON TOWNSHIP
Chairman, Jerry Lambert

It was very evident this past weekend that wildfire season is upon us. There were several calls throughout the Potter and Tioga county region. Despite the amount of snow that we had this past winter, and in some cases snow still on the ground on many hillsides, most of the surface vegetation is very dry and prone to easy ignition. As area residents take to doing some "spring cleaning" out in the yard in the coming weeks they are asked to use extreme caution when burning brush.

Here are some tips for safe burning;

• DO NOT burn on windy/breezy days. Even a light wind can easily cause a small controlled fire to quickly spread and become out of control.
• Keep a garden hose or other source of water handy along with a rake and a shovel. This will allow you to try to keep things under control.
• DO NOT burn anything other than yard waste/material, period. For one, it's against the law and burning things like heavy lumber and other materials makes it much more difficult to control.
• ALWAYS remain in the area you are burning and NEVER leave a fire unattended!!!
• If things begin to get out of hand don't hesitate, call 9-1-1. Don't try to control a fire that has gotten too big for the resources you have available.

The Tri-Town Fire Co. (Dept 47) of Ulysses announced today that it has been notified by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and Congressman Glenn Thompson's office that it has been awarded a grant in the amount of $53,913 through the Department of Homeland Security's Assistance to Firefighters Grant program. The grant was awarded under the program's Operations and Safety section and will be used to purchase new personal protective equipment (PPE) for 25 of the department's active firefighters. This will include turnout coats, bunker pants, helmets, boots, protective hoods and gloves. The grant award will also cover the cost of several equipment racks for storage of the equipment in a ready state.

Chief of the Department Roy Hunt stated that this grant will allow the department to provide the most up-to-date protective gear to its most active members, particularly those that are involved in interior fire attack operations, and will help to provide for a greater degree of safety for firefighters.

The department is also currently awaiting word on a grant application that was submitted through the AFG Vehicle Replacement program for the purchase of a new Four-Wheel-Drive Engine/Rescue unit. If awarded that grant the vehicle purchased would replace a total of three vehicles in the department's fleet.

Thompson Announces $53,913 in Assistance to Firefighters Grant To Tri-Town Volunteer Fire Company

Washington, D.C.—U.S. Representative Glenn `GT’ Thompson, R-Howard, today announced a $53,913 Assistance to Firefighters Grant (AFG) to the Tri-Town volunteer Fire Company. The grant comes under the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA).

Tri-Town Fire Captain Mike Healy said, “We will use the money for personal protective equipment, like turnout gear, for 25 firefighters who are the most active and take part in interior fire attacks.”

“It is absolutely crucial that firefighters have the right protective gear,” said Thompson, who is a qualified volunteer firefighter and emergency medical technician. “This grant will make that a reality for Tri-Town.”

Since 2001, AFG has helped firefighters and other first responders to obtain critically needed equipment, protective gear, emergency vehicles, training, and other resources needed to protect the public and emergency personnel from fire and related hazards.

HARRISBURG – In an effort to streamline all of the various acts affecting both paid and volunteer firefighters into one title, Rep. Russ Fairchild (R-Snyder/Union), Republican chairman of the House Veterans Affairs and Emergency Preparedness Committee is authoring legislation to codify the various acts relating to firefighters.

“There are many times that we in the General Assembly deal with issues that involve our emergency responder community across the board,” Fairchild said. “It is both fitting and necessary that we take the steps needed to structure our laws relating to this community in a more effective and manageable manner.”

House Bill 2321, which was introduced on March 10, will provide fire and emergency services, citizens, and elected state and local officials with one area of law relating to the fire and emergency services by codifying the various acts under one umbrella, which is Title 35, commonly referred to as the Emergency Management Code.

“Last summer, I circulated a co-sponsor memo to do the same, which resulted in the introduction of House Bill 1810,” Fairchild said. “However, upon further consideration and meetings with the Legislative Reference Bureau, it became apparent that it is possible to include almost all of the acts affecting our firefighters, both paid and volunteer. Now we can take the extra step necessary to bring together under one title the laws affecting our paid and volunteer fire services.”