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.
Test how your personality aligns with the motivation, teamwork and key character traits that exemplify firefighters around the world
West Leechburg firefighters have a new custom-sized engine-tanker with a larger tank
A consolidation plan in Sunbury will cover everything from leadership, staffing and apparatus to avoid duplication of services and improve costs, training
This excerpt from the 2015 AFG Resource Guide introduces the steps fire departments must follow to getting a grant funded; the full guide is free
The Mt. Eden Volunteer Fire Department celebrated its grand reopening Sunday, nearly 15 months after it burned down
TJ Zimmerlee, who has a blood disease called Langerhan Cell Histiocytosis, gained 150 new brothers and sisters that will be by his side during his fight
Billy Naillon, 26, who served tours of duty in Iraq and Afghanistan, was partially ejected from the vehicle and pronounced deceased on the scene
The firefighter and his wife were not home when the fire started; their two dogs inside did not survive
Assistant Chief Dennis Hevener said he never feared for his life; he also knew the suspect from high school but hadn’t seen him in 35 years
Chief Jesse Hoshall used a station credit card for his personal use between 2010 and 2012; officials are calling for a better oversight of the department
One suffered burns to the neck and another was injured when a ceiling partly collapsed on him
The 5-foot-long, 3,500-pound beam, one of the last pieces of the World Trade Center, is being given to a fire department in Colorado
Chief Keith Boring told the firefighter during an expletive-laced phone call that he would kill him and his family
The Ohio firefighters were initially called to a report of a brush fire; no one was injured
Here are some expert tips to keep your tower truck functioning through the winter months
Better understanding what mounted deck guns are and when and how to use them enhances your fire attack capabilities
Officials said there was nothing about the facility that was code complaint or safe; the haunted house proceeds make up half of the department’s yearly income
Firefighter Anthony Smith, who was born without his right hand, joined the department nearly 11 years ago; the chief said he can do anything that everyone else can do and better
Chief Tom Trigg sent a letter to the saloon owner asking for a donation rather than billing him; the owner has yet to respond
City officials are hesitant to pay to equip the truck, saying it would wipe out their entire budget for the year
Jacob Hawthorne was diagnosed with stage four Hodgkin lymphoma; firefighters surprised him with the kind gesture during his 17th birthday party
The grant money will be used to purchase a fire extinguisher simulator, air bottles for air packs and stabilizing bars for rescues and firefighter safety
Rumors of the FY2014 grant awards continuing are greatly exaggerated; they are truly closed for the year
Because the first round of zingers barely scratched the surface of oddball complaints, here’s a second round of doozies heard on an emergency scene
Chief Kirk Kelley, his wife, their two children, ages 2 and 4, and the family dog escaped unharmed
The firefighters and medics use dancing, signs to encourage and inspire a department veteran
The military’s methodical approach to identifying and developing leaders can help the fire service raise its leadership game
He told police he was “tired of the city not addressing the abandoned homes in the area;" he’s accused of setting 10 fires
The new American Heart Association’s guidelines emphasize the importance of teamwork for resuscitation outcomes
When investigating a firefighter injury or death, documenting the condition of the PPE is critical; that includes a visual record
Officials said letting Chief Mike Balzer go was a personal matter and didn’t comment any further
When firefighters showed up to help the disabled man’s friend who suffered a seizure, they wanted to help do a job he couldn’t do himself
The volunteer firefighter, who also works at an electric company, called to get the power shut off to get the patient removed from a car that struck an electric pole