By Jon Swedien
The (Eau Claire) Leader-Telegram via The Wisconsin State Journal
EAU CLAIRE, Wis. — Longer commutes, tighter budgets and a continued sluggish economy mean volunteer and on-call firefighters are having a tougher time fighting fires in the communities they call home.
“The times are a lot different than they were 50, 30, even 10 years ago,” said Menomonie Chief John Baus, who also is president of the Wisconsin Fire Chiefs Association.
Baus said he remembers his father, a volunteer firefighter who operated a meat market, running out of his shop when a fire broke out in town. So would the owner of the hardware store and the mechanic at the city shop, who also were volunteer firefighters, Baus said.
Today, because many firefighters don’t work in the communities where they live, that’s less common.
That makes it more difficult for volunteer and on-call firefighters to respond quickly to emergencies in their hometowns, Baus said.
A poor economy hasn’t helped, making some employers less willing to allow their workers to leave to fight fires.
“I’ve actually had some of my members say they were written up because of a fire call,” said Bob Dewitz, fire chief in Fall Creek, where he leads 25 volunteer firefighters. “It’s very tough for the members.”
Legislators passed a law last year making it illegal for employers to penalize workers for returning to work late after responding to a fire.
Local governments’ budget difficulties have meant less money for some fire departments, Baus said.
Dewitz said he’s been told not to expect an increase in his budget for several years.
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