Shortage of Volunteer Firefighters

 

Shortage of Volunteer Firefighters

There is an increasing shortage of volunteer firefighters across our state and across the country. Anita Brown-Graham looks at what rural communities are doing to recruit and support volunteer fire departments and the men and women who serve them. Generous support for this series is provided by UNC-School of Government and Civic Federal Credit Union.

On April 11, 2019, we hosted a Twitter chat on the Shortage of Volunteer Firefighters.

Digital Extras 1:Firefighter Training in High School

One of the most effective ways to recruit new firefighters is to start early. There are dozens of high school fire tech programs across the state including two in Orange County. We look at the impact of a local high school training the next generation of firefighters. Anita Brown-Graham hosts. Generous support is provided by UNC-School of Government and Civic Federal Credit Union.

Digital Extras 2:Recruiting Volunteer Firefighters

ncIMPACT hosts a panel on new recruitment efforts for volunteer firefighters. Panelists include Mike Causey, Margaret Roberton, and Tim Bradley. Anita Brown-Graham hosts.

Digital Extras 3:Shortage of Volunteer Firefighters

ncIMPACT hosts a panel discussion on the shortage of volunteer firefighters. Panelists include Mike Causey, Margaret Roberton, and Tim Bradley. Anita Brown-Graham hosts. Generous support for this series is provided by UNC-School of Government and Civic Federal Credit Union.

Digital Extras 4:Importance of Volunteer Firefighters

Many rural communities across our state are facing a volunteer firefighter shortage. Orange County is one of these communities, but they’ve also been recognized for their innovative recruitment and training programs. We look at the importance of volunteer firefighters through the lens of a woman whose life was saved by volunteer firefighters and a man who became a volunteer firefighter. Anita Brown-Graham hosts. Generous support is provided by UNC-School of Government and Civic Federal Credit Union.

Additional Resources

The tenth episode of our new series on UNC-TV highlights the shortage of volunteer firefighters. It examines the effects this has on communities and what organizations in Orange County are doing to combat it.

• “A Proactive Approach to Ensuring Mental Wellness-VCOS Yellow Ribbon Report.”  North Carolina Association of Fire Chiefs. Accessed February 2019.  http://ncsfa.com/a-proactive-approach-to-ensuring-mental-wellness-vcos-yellow-ribbon-report.
•  “Advocacy.” North Carolina State Firefighters’ Association. Accessed February 2019. http://ncsfa.com/advocacy.
•  “An alarming trend: NC already has more fire deaths this year than all of 2017.” June 2018. http://www.wect.com/story/38513138/an-alarming-trend-nc-already-has-more-fire-deaths-this-year-than-all-of-2017/.
• Brigman, Lauren. “State fire marshal talks volunteer firefighter recruitment in Henderson County.” News13WLOS. https://wlos.com/news/local/state-fire-marshal-talks-volunteer-firefighter-shortage-in-henderson-county.
• Case No. 1:09-cv-244. https://www.wral.com/news/local/document/4905171/
• Chason, Rachel. “Wanted in NC: More volunteer firefighters.” The News & Observer. September 2016. https://www.newsobserver.com/news/local/article104999146.html.
• Cheatham, Spencer. “5 things I learned from Dad to Help Grow Volunteer Membership.” International Fire Chiefs Association. January 2019. https://www.iafc.org/on-scene/on-scene-article/5-things-i-learned-from-dad-to-help-grow-volunteer-membership.
• “City of Hendersonville, North Carolina Fire Department: 2016 Strategic Plan Peer Review Report.” February 2017. https://www.hendersonvillenc.gov/Data/Sites/1/media/Departments/fire/fire-dept-strategic-plan-peer-review-report.pdf.
• “Core Municipal Principal.” NC League of Municipalities. Accessed February 2019. https://www.nclm.org/advocacy/core-municipal-principles.
• De Bona, Beth. “Fire Academy grads now employed as firefighters.” Blue Ridge Now. March 2016.  https://www.blueridgenow.com/news/20160319/fire-academy-grads-now-employed-as-firefighters.
• “Fire and Rescue Commission.” North Carolina Department of Insurance OSFM: Office of State Fire Marshall. Accessed February 2019. http://www.ncdoi.com/osfm/fire_rescue_commission/.
• “For All NCAFC Members: Officers Talk Group.” North Carolina Association of Fire Chiefs. Accessed February 2019.  https://www.ncafc.com/officers-talk-group.
• Goad, Matt. “NC volunteer fire departments struggling says state fire marshal.” The Herald Sun. May 2018. https://www.heraldsun.com/news/local/counties/orange-county/article210503094.html.
• Johnson, Becky. “When duty calls: A critical shortage of volunteer firefighters threatens a time-honored American tradition.” Smoky Mountain. WECT News 6. March 2016. https://www.smokymountainnews.com/news/item/17316-when-duty-calls-a-critical-shortage-of-volunteer-firefighters-threatens-a-time-honored-american-tradition.
• Johnson, Paul. “NC Chiefs Dreading Volunteer FF Shortage.” North Carolina Association of Fire Chiefs. November 2018. https://www.firehouse.com/careers-education/news/21033600/nc-fire-chiefs-worry-dread-volunteer-firefighter-shortage-crisis.
• Lacey, Derek. “Keeping Volunteers Challenges Fire Departments.” Emergency Management. May 2018. http://www.govtech.com/em/disaster/Keeping-Volunteers-Challenges-Fire-Departments.html.
• Malinen, Sanna and Teija Mankkinen. “Finnish Firefighters’ Barriers to Volunteering.” Nonprofit and Voluntary Sector. https://journals-sagepub-com.libproxy.lib.unc.edu/doi/pdf/10.1177/0899764017749890.
• Murphy, Chrissy. “Making a Difference: Volunteer firefighting numbers declining county-wide.” The News Herald. January 2019. https://www.morganton.com/news/volunteer-firefighting-numbers-declining-county-wide/article_5c166928-0ead-11e9-8809-03934176203a.html.
• “National Fire Department Registry quick facts. “ US Fire Administration Working for a fire-safe America. February 2019. https://apps.usfa.fema.gov/registry/summary.
• “N.C. Fire and Rescue Commission Certification Board Policy and Procedures Manual.” NC Fire and Rescue. October 2013. https://surry.edu/pdf_uploads/areas_of_study/programs/fire-rescue/nc_fire_and_rescue_commission_policy_and_procedures_manual.pdf
• North Carolina Association of Fire Chiefs. Accessed February 2019. https://www.ncafc.com/.
• North Carolina Association of Fire Chiefs. Accessed February 2019. http://www.volunteerfirenc.org/.
• “North Carolina Association of Fire Chiefs: Chiefs Quarterly.” 3^rd Quarter 2008. http://archive.constantcontact.com/fs066/1101879662450/archive/1102154223112.html
• North Carolina League of Municipalities. https://www.nclm.org/.
• Ocampo, Daniela. “State Fire Marshal Praises Orange County for Firefighter Volunteer and Recruitment Efforts.” The Hill Chapel Hill WCHL. May 2018. https://chapelboro.com/news/safety/state-fire-marshal-praises-orange-county-for-firefighter-volunteer-and-recruitment-efforts.
• Richardson, Robert. “Johnston County trying new way to recruit volunteer firefighters.” CBS17. May 2018. https://www.cbs17.com/news/local-news/johnston-county-news/johnston-county-trying-new-way-to-recruit-volunteer-firefighters/1159887751.
• “South Salisbury Fire Department Part of Study on Recruitment and Retention.” Salisbury Post. June 2018.  https://www.salisburypost.com/2018/07/20/south-salisbury-fire-department-part-of-study-on-recruitment-and-retention/.
• “State Marshal Mike Causey organizes statewide smoke alarm canvass to prevent fire deaths.” NC Department of Insurance office of State Fire Marshal. June 2018. http://www.ncdoi.com/media/news2/year/2018/062018a.asp.
• “State of the Volunteer Fire Service Report 2018: Recruiting and Retaining the Volunteer of the Future.” International Fire Chiefs Association. November 2018. https://www.iafc.org/docs/default-source/1vcos/nvws_stateofthevolunteerfireservice.pdf?sfvrsn=fe13800d_4.
• “The North Carolina Association of Fire Chiefs Announces the Kick-Off of Its Statewide Volunteer Firefighter Recruitment and Retention Campaign.” North Carolina Association of Fire Chiefs. https://www.iafc.org/docs/default-source/1vcos/vwsnc_kickoffpressrelease180418.pdf?sfvrsn=c80f890d_2.
• Tucker, Chad. “Volunteer firefighters in desperate need across the state.” Fox8. July 2017. https://myfox8.com/2017/07/10/volunteer-firefighters-in-desperate-need-across-the-state/
• “Vision 2030: Building North Carolina, one hometown at a time. NC League of Municipalities. Accessed February 2019. https://www.nclm.org/resourcelibrary/Shared%20Documents/Vision%202030%20Overview.pdf.
• “Welcome to our firefighter academy.” HCPS Career Academy. 2019 Henderson County Public Schools. http://www.hendersoncountypublicschoolsnc.org/bal/fire-fighter-academy/.
• Wilson, Julie. “NC experiences decline in volunteer firefighters.” ABC11. June 2018. https://abc11.com/society/nc-experiences-decline-in-volunteer-firefighters/3642088/.
• Wray, Charlotte. “NC Insurance Commissioner visits Orange High School.” The News of Orange County. May 2018. http://www.newsoforange.com/education/article_32ad00b8-4e25-11e8-9a98-476579180002.html.