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.
It’s one of the most challenging and rewarding jobs in the fire service
Michael V. Crismali, East Windsor Volunteer Fire Co. 2’s Firefighter of the Year for 2015, allegedly took the money between 2017 and 2019
It’s up to leadership to provide the direction and all firefighters to share the expectations that volunteers need to thrive in their role
Burglars stole $4,500 worth of rescue equipment — including a chainsaw, two sawzalls, two other saws used to cut through metal roofs and tools to help pry open doors
Firefighter Jonathan Boggs was directing traffic when a car he stopped swerved to drive around him; he was hit in the knee by the bumper on the car
Former volunteer firefighter Justin Wayne LeBoeuf, 19, turned himself in after stealing a department’s brush truck
Two firefighters sustained minor injuries in the all-night fire operation and were released following emergency room treatment
The probe uncovered an “ineffective and confusing command structure,” as well as “an ineffective and possibly unfair compensation structure”
Fire officials said calls for service will be responded to by career staff and other volunteer stations
For those of us who make a living from the fire service, giving back time, money or energy to firefighters is a moral obligation and profoundly rewarding
Hundreds of homes in the 1,300-year-old town were destroyed but no deaths were reported
Nearly 25 firefighters turnout to repair water-damaged facility so charity group can deliver food to the needy
The U.S. Treasury Department ruled that the time volunteers work cannot be counted toward full-time employee status
Every firefighter has to take precautions against cancer from day one, but officers lead by rules and examples
The firefighters said everyone seemed OK after the crash, including the little girl’s mom and dad
Firefighter Cosmo Paris, 59, was returning home after an incident when he suffered an apparent heart attack
Some emergency scenarios require specialized vehicles to move patients or attack fire; here’s a look at what’s on the market and how to make the best choice
The new station will allow for improved response times
“We have applied unsuccessfully for many grants for a new engine for the last 10 years,” one fire official said
Winter can be hard on a rig’s air brakes, but a little extra care will halt brake problems
Faced with the cost of insurance, departments will likely be forced to reduce the number of hours firefighters can volunteer or eliminate benefit programs
We need to take a closer look at why there was a rise in trauma-related firefighter fatalities
Good mayday training isn’t the sole domain of large metro fire departments; smaller department programs are effective, as this story shows
Incidents with exposed structures close to the burning structure require different attack strategies and tactics
Renting out fire trucks and crews may be one way to generate revenue and silence critics
William “Billy” Trapnell IV died unexpectedly as a result of a medical emergency while on-duty as a paramedic
He is accused of taking the stolen truck for a 10-mile joy ride before crashing it into a ditch
They don’t happen often, but when they do, railroad disasters can quickly overwhelm the best-prepared departments
As the first-on-scene officer, what would your incident action plan look like for this fire, and is the structure worth saving?
LaBryan J. Dotson, 30, was driving his motorcycle when he failed to negotiate a curve, crossed both lanes and traveled through a ditch before striking a concrete culvert
A firefighter used the department’s equipment and personnel to surprise his fiance with an elaborate ruse
Cory Haley, 24, was struck by two vehicles while jogging, and the fire department is helping his family buy a headstone “so that nobody would forget how good of a person he was”
Township official: “We’re trying to get away from the ‘good-old boy’ system”