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.
In the Glen Falls timeline, the first paid firefighters started work in 1903 working 10 days on and 1 day off
Before she could even speak the language after immigrating to America, the wife of the junior Pennsylvania senator dreamed of joining the fire service
Marrowbone Assistant Fire Chief Brian Belcher was known as the kind of volunteer always trying to serve others
He was indicted on 24 counts and could have served 29.5 years; the sentence was reduced because the fires were not set out of malice
David Schiers was attempting to help get occupants out of a vehicle that had crashed when a BMW slammed into the car and pinned him underneath
The AED and SCBA he stole from the department were recovered; the motive for his thefts were not clear
They threatened to quit after a new town manager was hired late last month; the chief and his brother resigned
Their disappearance was reported when they didn’t show up for work; their car was found upside down in a river
They can try the most patient of us, but giving in to the town crank’s need for attention and conflict doesn’t help you or your department
Write-in candidate Rhonda Appelgate said the death of a firefighter should not be more special than any other death
In return, the firefighters agree to respond to fire and emergency calls in the area
She stole the truck parked in a police parking lot after finding a hidden spare key; damage to the truck was minor
A total of $9,240 should have been collected from the classes, but only $2,980 was recorded
These statements reflect an attitude that may seem harmless in the short term, but will undermine leadership in the long run
One firefighter suffered heat exhaustion and smoke inhalation; the other received a minor neck injury caused by a fire hose
More than $700,000 had been inappropriately contributed on behalf of members to volunteers who were no longer eligible to receive benefits
They should be cleared to return to work in two days; the alarm they were responding to turned out to be false
Taking a deliberate approach to recruiting underrepresented segments of the population will boost fire department ranks and its overall quality
The suspect was wearing firefighting equipment that may be the same that was stolen from a fire department last week
Mark Farren, 58, died after a three-year battle with cancer; he served as chief for 32 years
Benjamin Wilkinson, 24, fell asleep at the wheel, lost control of his car and went down a ditch; the car knocked the firefighter onto his back and the wheel rolled over his ankle
Authorities identified the body of a man hit by a train as Timothy Graves
A former assistant fire chief and others are accusing the department of issuing certifications for courses never attended; Indiana’s DHS is investigating the claims
Anna Moore supervised the department of fire safety, emergency management, the jail and public safety communications
Legal counsel for firefighters said the case might make responders think twice about who is responsible on scene and might leave political subdivisions vulnerable
This comes in the heat of a debate regarding the appropriateness of displaying the flag after nine people were killed at a historically black church
The 2002 Durango has full fire department decals and lightbar
Among the items taken off a fire truck were an AED and a SCBA; there are no leads in the case
The fire truck was not inspected before being acquired and has not been accepted into service by the department
Voters passed a ballot item to consolidate the two agencies, which includes adding two paid EMS employees to the volunteer department
A well-trained firefighter is a safe one, but when a large-scale incident hits home factors like mental health support play a key role
Leading by example, letting members build programs and getting full buy-in are just some of the ways these fire chiefs boost their fire departments’ safety culture
Keeping fire and EMS personnel safe in low-probability, high-risk situations like those involving active shooters takes preparation — and a lot of it; here’s what the experts say volunteer chiefs can do to be ready