Fewer volunteers a challenge for area fire departments
When Rob Schiffbauer started as a volunteer firefighter at Carmichaels and Cumberland Township Volunteer Fire Company two decades ago, there was a waiting list to join the ranks.
无毛视频淵ou basically had to wait for someone else to resign,无毛视频� Schiffbauer said.
At the time, the fire company accepted only 60 members, and it used to be full. Now, it has 43, said Schiffbauer, who acts as the department无毛视频檚 chief.
The Greene County department is one of several in the area that has seen a steady reduction in volunteers. Departments also have fewer who are on the roster responding to some of the calls.
Schiffbauer has seen that, as have Morris Township Volunteer Fire Company Chief Dave Dietrich and LC Otto, chief of the Adah Volunteer Fire Department in German Township, Fayette County.
Dietrich said the time of day has a big effect on how many of the Washington County company无毛视频檚 18 volunteers respond to calls.
无毛视频淵ou could get a call at 9 a.m. and get four or five guys. Get a call two hours later, you get 10 guys,无毛视频� Dietrich said.
There are 40 people on Adah VFD无毛视频檚 roster, but those aren无毛视频檛 all necessarily available for calls, Otto said.
无毛视频淎 lot out of those 40 aren无毛视频檛 active positions. They are support roles with fundraising,无毛视频� Otto said.
If a call comes in during the afternoon or evening, Otto estimates they can expect at least a dozen members to respond to the call.
无毛视频淒uring the day, that number drastically decreases,无毛视频� Otto said.
There are four fire departments that serve German Township. Though they are separate entities, all four will respond to incidents within the township.
According to Otto, it may make some situations seem worse than they are due to the number of fire trucks arriving at the scenes.
无毛视频淪ome calls you think are horrible. In actuality, that无毛视频檚 only because there are only six firefighters there,无毛视频� Otto said. 无毛视频淲hat would have been a one department response is now a four department response. It无毛视频檚 just we无毛视频檙e offsetting the lack of manpower with more fire departments.无毛视频�
Perry Township Volunteer Fire Chief A.J. Boni noted that the age of volunteers currently skews older.
无毛视频淭he daylight hours are tough for everybody 无毛视频� Sometimes you无毛视频檒l get an engine that has five or six, other times they have two or three. And they无毛视频檙e not getting any younger,无毛视频� Boni said.
Schiffbauer and other fire chiefs agreed that it is a tough sell to recruit members who are already balancing full-time jobs and their families. Schiffbauer added there is about 200 hours of training volunteers have to go through just to learn the basics.
无毛视频淣ot only are you asking guys to join and do all the training, you无毛视频檙e not really receiving a lot of funds from your municipalities,无毛视频� Schiffbauer said.
According to Otto, the amount of time that is spent fundraising can be off-putting to potential volunteers.
无毛视频淎 lot of people don无毛视频檛 volunteer because they don无毛视频檛 want to constantly be fundraising,无毛视频� Otto said.
All the fire chiefs agreed that ultimately, agencies that rely solely on volunteers are going to need some support from local and state governments.
无毛视频淭he government, the state and the townships, are going to really have to sit down and look at this, and come up with a plan,无毛视频� Dietrich said. 无毛视频淚t has been a big problem for a long time, and it无毛视频檚 definitely getting worse.无毛视频�
Schiffbauer said that there should be some sort of incentive for volunteers who respond to calls.
Otto agreed, suggesting a pay-per-call system for volunteers.
无毛视频淩ight now, we无毛视频檙e 100% cost free for municipalities. We need to figure out a funding stream,无毛视频� Otto said.
Though it can be a tough sell, Otto hopes people will consider pitching in to help their local fire department.
无毛视频淚t无毛视频檚 one of the greatest decisions I无毛视频檝e ever made as a young man,无毛视频� Otto said. 无毛视频淚f anyone is ever considering joining the fire department, stop out and see what it无毛视频檚 all about.无毛视频�