Volunteer firefighter numbers decline

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According to a recent New York Times article, the number of volunteer firefighters is decreasing while the reasons why increase. Besides the apparent reason that the work is dangerous, the allure has diminished because of the amount of fund-raising required; the rise in two-income families, which makes spare time harder to find; and the increase in the scope of the work to vehicular entrapments and water rescues to name a few.

According to the National Fire Protection Association, the number of volunteer firefighters has dropped by roughly 11 percent since the mid-1980s, while the number of career firefighters has grown more than 50 percent.

“Unfortunately there is a lot of turnover,” said Chief Fred Senti III of the Lakeview Fire Department. “Almost every five years it seems we’re turning over, and its pretty much due to most people’s economic situation.”

The NFPA’s statistics also show the decline in the number of firefighters is greatest in the younger age categories. “For the younger people, unfortunately, the job’s incentives haven’t jumped off the page as much as an older person,” said Senti. “You get a slight reduction on property taxes and a pension when you’re 65, but for a person who’s 20 years old and doesn’t own a home, it all seems far away. Most people don’t stay with the job that long.”

Governments have a stake in the success of the volunteer fire departments, since they save them money in the long run. According to NFPA statistics, volunteer firehouses save local governments $139 billion in annual costs across the United States.

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