Volunteer Fire Service
Volunteer firefighters provide fire suppression, rescue and emergency medical services in communities of all sizes. Volunteer firefighters, motivated to help others and serve their community, balance training and service with jobs and family obligations. Learn more about latest volunteer fire service news, access FireRescue1 training resources and explore funding and recruitment resources for volunteer fire departments.
As West End Fire & Rescue celebrates 100 years of service, the once modest company began with a hand-me-down 1917 fire engine
As call volumes surge and volunteer numbers decline, rural Yolo County fire chiefs warn of a breaking point for their departments
Facing a nationwide shortage of volunteer firefighters, departments like Botetourt County are using camps, community outreach and flexible roles to raise awareness and inspire new recruits
Active volunteer responders could get a 20 percent credit on their municipal real estate taxes and a rebate on earned income taxes
Don Dreisbach said Whitehall Township Fire Department Chief David Nelson’s treatment of members and training requirements are causing volunteers to leave
Fire Chief Gary Brunoli proposed funding be cut for a volunteer department instead of laying off a paid firefighter
The bill would give volunteer fire departments the ability to make up the extensive costs of ambulance services by billing insurance companies
Chief Christopher Snedeker explains how his department started noticing an uptick in opioid-related calls and how they’re working to make sure they stay on top of the issue
Transforming into a good leader requires using solid communication techniques and fully understanding a department’s history
The Volunteer Fire Assistance Program provides assistance to organize, train and equip fire departments in rural areas
Will McCue dreamed of joining the FDNY one day before he was hospitalized in January with the flu, which turned into pneumonia and sepsis
The FireRescue1/Fire Chief Editorial Advisory Board reflect on firefighter safety, apparatus training, and supporting each other so everyone goes home
Weather and rural road conditions were factors in an apparatus crash that killed two firefighters and injured three
Allowing volunteer firefighters to be emotionally fulfilled by serving their communities and feel a part of firehouse camaraderie will help recruitment and retention efforts
Julie Ryan became a volunteer firefighter in 1944 after most of the male firefighters had been sent off to fight in World War II
The “operational merger” allows each to more easily tap the other’s equipment and firefighters
Chief Justin Mochar asked that active volunteer responders receive a property tax rebate of 20 percent, as well as an earned income tax refund
FEMA opens the SAFER grant application period for career, combination and volunteer firefighter recruitment assistance
“There’s no better feeling than going out and helping someone,” Clarks Grove Fire Chief Steven Thisius said
Mayfield Fire Chief Tim Brown said suspects filled two fire trucks with equipment, drove them away and later abandoned them on the side of the highway
Gregory Bomba and William Tortora have been charged with setting a truck ablaze outside a firehouse last month
Lt. Casey Stephen Kuhns, 30, was found dead at home from a cause yet to be determined
The measure calls for the issuance of “red personalized plates to volunteer emergency responders at no initial or annual cost to the volunteer
SB 887 would take away the requirement that teens need consent or certification to join a volunteer fire department and participate in non-hazardous activities
Levi Dykema said he was demonstrating the flammability of sanitizer and attempting to teach them about poor decision-making
Industry expert Jim Lyons shares new features, safety advances and buying trends in the fire apparatus market
Vernon Township Volunteer Fire Department is being dispatched to medical incidents after nearly a year of inability to provide that service
Communication problems, especially reliability and interoperability, are widespread and complicate preparedness, training and response
State Sen. Dan Laughlin said he is speaking with Department of Corrections Secretary John E. Wetzel about the “severe shortage” of volunteer firefighters
Legislation would put local fire departments with EMS services on par with other ambulance providers
NVFC Chairman Kevin Quinn offers strategies to overcome volunteer staffing challenges
“The shortage of volunteers is nationwide ... everybody’s hurting,” Blackhawk Fire Protection District Assistant Chief Todd Fitzpatrick said
Officials said the public safety model of first responders acting as firefighters, police officers and EMS providers helps decrease response times