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.
Barneveld volunteer firefighters were on the roof trying to remove snow minutes before the collapse
The issue of age isn’t a simple problem to solve, particularly in the volunteer fire service that’s struggling for members
Four key steps for minimizing incident command challenges
The two paused to reflect on what the department used to be, and how things have changed in five decades
Take whatever steps are necessary to recruit, retain, educate, hire, consolidate or reevaluate
The new agency of about 35 firefighters and medics will cover about 450 square miles and will cost the same for people within its boundaries
Fire Chief Tom Casey said there are so few volunteers responding to calls in Preston that, “we’re at the point now where it’s unknown whether anyone is coming”
Several emergency volunteer agencies are operating with half of the volunteers ideally needed to fully respond to emergency situations in their coverage areas
Fire service leaders say finding dedicated volunteers, particularly young people, has been getting harder over the past several years
Ronald Shuker, a 20-year veteran of the Monarch Fire Company and a retired police lieutenant, was killed in the fire
Voters will decide on a measure that would create a $100,000 fund to pay minimum wages to volunteer firefighters who respond to calls
Driver/Engineer Michael Watkins, 75 was a member of the Northeast Lakeside Fire Department
Federal labor laws prevent volunteer firefighters who also work paid part-time shifts from serving the same firehouse in both paid and volunteer capacities
Volunteer firefighters protesting the closing of the last volunteer fire department in the county have locked themselves inside the station for the last three weeks
Chiefs Richard “Smokey” Dyer and William Jenaway advise honorees to share the prestigious award with their entire department
John Leming had been an active volunteer with the Cape May Point Fire Company for six years
Volunteer fire companies foot the bill for everything associated with an ambulance, which he estimated comes in between $160,000 and $200,000
Members of the volunteer department continue to sit in their three-year-old fire station off state Route 79 to make sure the county doesn’t try to swoop in and seize the station and the equipment inside
“They’ve turned off dispatch,” said district director and volunteer firefighter Brian Kramer. “They’re not dispatching us, but we’re there and ready to answer a call if any come in”
The volunteer service tax credit program was created by state Act 172
The LAFCO vote to dissolve the district signaled the end of the last volunteer fire department in the region
Facing dwindling numbers of volunteer emergency medical technicians and an increased number of calls, the two entities will work to combine operations
Brock Currens, 17, was trying to help extinguish a car fire at a motorsports park when he crashed his ATV
The award-winning singer created the My People Fund in the aftermath of a 2016 fire that killed 14 people and destroyed 2,500 homes
Volunteers would have to serve at least five years to become vested and would earn funds toward their pension based on time spent on fire activities
The Julian-Cuyamaca Fire Protection District will be disbanded and citizens will be served by the regional Fire Authority instead
Citizens voted to replace the town’s self-governing fire department with a municipal-run outfit after all but one member of the department quit last month
The move comes after backlash from volunteers and employees over the decision to pass over longtime volunteer chief Charlie Love
Adams County volunteer firefighters Troy Whittington and Jason Haley were killed in a domestic dispute at the home of a friend
Officials will be asked to resolve a dispute over how thousands of dollars in state funds are distributed to support the volunteer fire and EMS personnel
Clover firefighters expressed their frustration that longtime volunteer Chief Charlie Love was not chosen to be the city’s first paid chief
The Liberty Twp. Fire Department is hoping to decrease its reliance on part-time personnel and is applying for a SAFER grant to hire nine full-time firefighters
Chief Alexander Cortezzo said “this decision was one of the hardest ones we had to make as a company”
