News
NFPA Report Shows Dangerous Aging Trend in Firefighters Protecting Small Communities
For the first time since the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) began tracking the age of firefighters by community size in 1987, the majority of firefighters protecting communities of fewer than 2,500 are 40 years of age or older. In 1987, more than 63 percent of firefighters protecting communities of 2,500 or less were under the age of 40. There are slightly more than 400,000 firefighters (out of 1.15 million total) protecting communities with populations of 2,500 or less, including 399,000 volunteer firefighters.
“For years volunteer fire departments across the country have been reporting that it is becoming increasingly difficult to recruit and retain new members,” said National Volunteer Fire Council (NVFC) Chairman Philip C. Stittleburg. “Given what we have been hearing from our members, this report is disheartening but not at all surprising.”
There are a variety of reasons that younger people are not joining volunteer fire departments in the same numbers as in the past. Many young people leave rural areas for better employment opportunities in more densely populated areas. Those who remain in small communities are often forced to commute long distances to and from work, reducing the free time that they have available to commit to the volunteer fire service. Perhaps most significantly, more stringent training requirements in recent decades have dramatically increased the initial time commitment for new volunteer firefighter recruits.
“Increased training standards make firefighters more effective at their job and ultimately reduce losses of life and property from fire,” said NVFC Health and Safety Committee Chairman Kenn Fontenot. “At the same time, we have to be realistic about how we structure training delivery – how it is funded, where and when it is offered, and attitudes towards training – to ensure that volunteer fire departments aren’t forced to choose between adequate staffing levels and adequate training.”
In recent years, many communities have begun incentive programs to improve recruitment and retention efforts, providing modest benefits to volunteer personnel in the form of stipends, pay-per-call and training, length of service award programs (pension-like programs), and non-monetary benefits ranging from awards banquets to gym memberships. The NVFC supports several federal bills that would make it easier for local communities to provide recruitment and retention benefits, including the following.
The Volunteer Emergency Services Recruitment and Retention Act (H.R. 1792)This legislation, introduced by Congressmen Peter King (R-NY) and Bill Pascrell (D-NJ) would simplify the requirements for length of service award programs and reduce the administrative burden on both governmental agencies and potential sponsors by using existing statutory and regulatory schemes. Under H.R. 1792, a service award program could be treated as an “eligible deferred compensation plan” if the program sponsor meets certain requirements and elects to do so. The legislation would not create any new service award programs or require changes to existing service award programs, but simply provide increased flexibility for program sponsors.The Volunteer Responder Incentive Protection Reauthorization Act (H.R. 3666)The Volunteer Responder Incentive Protection Act (VRIPA) was signed into law on December 20, 2007, amending the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to exclude tax benefits and up to $360 per year in other benefits provided to volunteer firefighters and EMS personnel from employment taxes and wage withholding. VRIPA expires at the end of 2010 and Congresswoman Tammy Baldwin (D-WI) and Congressman Dave Reichert (R-WA) have introduced H.R. 3666, the Volunteer Responder Incentive Protection Reauthorization Act (VRIPRA), which extends the tax exemption through 2013 and expands it to cover up to $600 per year in benefits.The Fire Grants Reauthorization Act (H.R. 3791)This legislation reauthorizes the Assistance to Firefighters Grant (AFG) program and the Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response (SAFER) grant program. SAFER funds (required by law to be at least 10 percent of the amount appropriated each year) can be used to fund recruitment and retention activities. The U.S. House of Representatives passed H.R. 3791 on November 18.
In addition to working on federal legislation, the NVFC operates several national programs designed to increase the capacity of fire departments. The Fire Corps program assists departments in the recruitment and retention of non-operational volunteers, who perform various fire department tasks and functions, allowing firefighters to focus on emergency response. The National Junior Firefighter Program helps volunteer departments engage young people who can potentially become active firefighters when they reach the required age.
“We need creative solutions to recruit and retain the next generation of volunteer firefighters and EMS personnel,” said Stittleburg. “The world that we live in is changing and if we don’t adapt to meet new challenges, fire protection in thousands of communities across the country will suffer for it. Hopefully, reaching this unfortunate milestone will serve as a wakeup call for fire service leaders and elected officials across the country about the importance of re-doubling efforts to recruit and retain volunteer firefighters.”
Search
Kimberly Ettinger
Director of Communications
202-887-5700 ext. 19
David Finger
Director of Government Relations
202-887-5700 ext. 12