Volunteer firefighting needs younger people, money

Feb. 9--This is the first in a package of stories running on consecutive Sundays on the challenges faced by volunteer fire departments.

Elijah Reaves and Lucas Ferrell say community pride motivates them to juggle their schedules so they can serve as volunteer firefighters while holding down paying jobs. Reaves, 21, and Ferrell, 25, are a rare commodity today -- young volunteer firefighters.

Local and national statistics show the number of volunteer firefighters is declining, and leaders at many of the 45 volunteer fire departments in Morgan, Limestone and Lawrence counties say it's because they're not getting enough younger people to join. If the slide continues, it could not only threaten fire protection in rural areas but the billions of dollars that homeowners save nationally on fire insurance.

"Ten years ago, we would average between 20 and 30 volunteers," said Ryan Jolly, fire chief at Moulton, which is considered a combination department with paid and volunteer firefighters. "Today, we average about 12."

Tanner Volunteer Fire Chief Danny Gatlin, 60, said his department presently has 14 volunteers and "we might have four or five show up for a house fire at night.

"About 15 years ago, we had 30-35 volunteers. There's big turnover, too. Younger people don't want to do it. Maybe because there's no money involved. We really need the young people for their energy. The older guys have the experience, and the younger guys can add the raw strength."

But Reaves and Ferrell say there are more important things than money.

"It's a sense of pride, of being selfless for a greater purpose than myself," said Ferrell, a volunteer firefighter at Mud Tavern Station No. 2 in Morgan County since 2012. "When you volunteer, you step away from your family to help the community. Everything we do is family oriented."

Reaves, one of 22 volunteers at the station, agreed. "This becomes your family."

Jolly said he believes lifestyle changes in society are playing a big part in the drop in volunteer department rosters.

"People don't have the willingness to volunteer," he said. "They come and volunteer and don't realize the commitment from the family. Money is a big thing. The city reimburses our volunteers for gas and other things as an incentive. But the volunteers are risking their lives to run into a burning building to save someone else for $15. A fireman is one of the most dangerous jobs in the world."

Most volunteer firefighters receive no compensation.

"In rural communities, it takes two or three departments just to fight a fire," Jolly said. "In rural areas, you don't have the resources. The community needs to understand what not having a volunteer fire department would mean. People don't want to pay for the services. The volunteer fire department keeps insurance rates down."

Local fire chiefs said well-trained, well-equipped fire departments can save some homeowners more than $1,000 a year on homeowners insurance.

When fire departments have smaller membership or a department dissolves, Insurance Services Office ratings increase in the specific area. The higher the rating, the higher the homeowners' insurance premiums in most cases.

At the Chalybeate station, Capt. Jonas Hobbs said the roster numbers are presently up, but that can change quickly.

"Our numbers come and go in spurts," he said. "All it takes is one person to join and then their friends come to join, too. They see it working as being young and single. But when they marry and start a family, they say they don't have the time or they move away for a new job."

He said a decade ago, Chalybeate had about a dozen volunteers and that number in January was 18.

"Some people see the volunteer firefighters working at a scene like the tornado we had in December (in Town Creek). That sparks their interest, and they ask about how to join," he said. "But we may have only eight to answer a call. I don't know if the people have the time to volunteer anymore. It can be time consuming with more training, and the increased call volume takes them away from their family. Maybe it's a generational thing, and they don't have the interest."

Tax break proposal

State Rep. Proncey Robertson, R-Mount Hope, said state lawmakers are aware of the problem of the diminishing volunteer numbers and the lack of incentives to attract volunteers.

Robertson said the Legislature is studying a measure that will offer a property tax exemption to volunteer firefighters.

"The higher you go up in rank and the number of years of experience as a volunteer firefighter, the larger the property tax breaks would be," he said of a proposal. "The dwindling number of volunteers is definitely an issue."

John Stinson, president of the Morgan County Firefighters Association, said while volunteer numbers are dropping, the call volume is up. He said in 2010 the 22 volunteer fire departments in the county answered 4,547 first-responder and fire calls. The number had ballooned to 6,491 by last year after hitting a 10-year high in 2018 with 6,848 calls.

"In the 1970s, we pretty much only answered fire calls," he said. "Now about 80% of the calls are (emergency medical services) calls."

Fire chiefs say their departments help save lives by serving as first-responders to accident and medical calls. But those calls require additional training, which gobbles up the time and energy of volunteers even more.

Stinson said about 500 people are on the county volunteer fire department rosters, but only about 250 are active.

"Some fire departments only have 10 members," he said. "That's not enough."

Morgan County Commission Chairman Ray Long said he is seeing the decline in numbers, "Volunteer fire departments are a big part of the county," he said. "They make you feel safe when you go to sleep at night. Unfortunately overall, people don't have the volunteer spirit they used to have."

State and national volunteer fire officials are alert to the problem.

Mike Green, president of the Alabama Association of Volunteer Fire Departments, said the number of volunteer firefighters is down from more than 25,000 about 15 years ago to about 16,000 today. The number of Alabama Forestry Commission-certified volunteer fire departments dropped from more than 1,000 to about 950 during the same time span, he said.

"The younger generation is asking, 'What's in it for me?' The meaning of volunteerism has gone away," Green said. He said most state volunteer fire departments are getting smaller and members are getting older. He said one unnamed department is on the verge of closing with only six members on its roster with the youngest member being 60 years old.

"That's a trend we're seeing," he added. "We're on the brink of being in a sad state."

Green said he has worked with Legislative Research Services in Montgomery on proposed legislation that will give certified firefighters a break on state income tax. But he said he doesn't have support of the entire Legislature, especially with those members who have strong ties to education.

"It's tough to deal with anything affecting the Education Trust Fund," he said. "If you start talking about hitting the ETF, you have to put hard figures in front of them."

He said he plans to introduce companion bills in both chambers, but isn't ready to name the bills' sponsors or co-sponsors.

A nationwide issue

Kimberly Quiros, chief of communications for the National Volunteer Fire Council, said the Valley's issues are common across the country.

She said 65% of firefighters are volunteers. According to the National Fire Protection Association statistics, 682,600 of the 1.06 million firefighters in the United States in 2017 were volunteers. Quiros said of the 29,819 fire departments in the nation, 19,313 were all-volunteer and 5,405 were mostly volunteer.

"The cost savings provided by fire service volunteers is tremendous," said Quiros, who listed that amount to be about $47 billion annually. "For many communities, switching to a career staffing model is not feasible."

She said there is no easy answer to the declining number of volunteer firefighters.

"The past two years the number of volunteers has gone down drastically," she said. "It could be changing demographics. Younger people have moved away from smaller communities. Some families and people work two jobs, some commute farther to work."

In 1984, 897,750 volunteer firefighters were on department rosters across the nation, according to the National Fire Protection Association. In 2015, that number was down to 814,850 and in 2017, the latest figures available, the number had dwindled to 682,600.

In 2002, a year after the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, 816,600 were on volunteer rosters. The year earlier, 784,700.

"Some communities have been successful in turning around the declining number of volunteers, but there is no magic pill," Quiros said. "What might work for one community, may not work for another one."

She said some departments are offering tax incentives and retirement programs.

She said the National Volunteer Fire Council has recruiting campaign material available to help boost volunteer firefighter numbers.

"Some departments don't have time, money, personnel to set up recruiting methods," she said. "We offer this to keep everyone from having to re-invent the wheel. Most departments have the same issues: lack of personnel, money, equipment."

Green said support personnel are just as important as the firefighters.

"Most firefighters go to the scene in their personal vehicles. If someone could drive the truck to the scene, that would be a tremendous help," he said. "If there were volunteers giving support to homeowners or patients, that would be wonderful. It's not rocket science."

Personnel are needed for distributing heat relief to the firemen, helping with paperwork at the station and planning and working fundraisers.

Green said he is encouraged that fire science programs are offered to juniors and seniors at high schools across the state.

"The program is about five years old and we're starting to see some young firefighters from it, but it is too early to tell what kind of success it will bring."

-- [email protected] or 256-340-2442. Twitter @DD_Wetzel.

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