Where Are All The Volunteers Going?

James RobinsonGeorge Totman (1955). Mclean Fire Station

The Issue

• Many volunteer fire departments face diminishing membership• People do not want to work for no pay• People no longer stay in one area

• These departments need members to continue to exist

• Departments may disappear if numbers continue to drop

How Many Need Volunteers?

8%5%

16%

71%

Percent Of Registered Departments

All Career Mostly CareerMostly Volunteer All Volunteer

A total of 92% of all fire departments

depend on volunteers in some

capacity!

Number of Volunteers

Number of Volunteer Members

1983 1990 2000 2011650000

700000

750000

800000

850000

900000Number of Fire Departments

1983 1990 2000 201127000

27500

28000

28500

29000

29500

30000

30500

31000

Decreasing Members

Increas

ing Dem

and

Recruitment and Retention Resources

• National Volunteer Fire Department Recruitment and Retention Guide

• FASNY Higher Education Learning Plan

• Fire In You

Clipart

We Need To Act!

• Volunteerism is decreasing• People do not want to put in the effort that it requires

• Demand for fire protection is increasing• As rural areas become more developed there is more

to protect• There are plenty of resources out there to help fire

departments• Recruiting tools• Retention programs

Citation• U.S. Fire Administration (2012). National Fire Department

Census Quick Facts. Accessed 2/28/13 http://apps.usfa.fema.gov/census/summary.cfm#d

• NFPA (2013). NFPA::Research::Fire Statistics::The U.S. Fire Service. Accessed 3/1/13 http://www.nfpa.org/itemDetail.asp?categoryID=955&itemID=23688&URL=Research/Fire%20statistics/The%20U.S.%20fire%20service&cookie_test=1

• NFVC (2013). Guides and Resources. Accessed 3/1/13 http://www.nvfc.org/hot-topics/retention-and-recruitment/guides-and-resources

Citations (cont.)• FASNY (2012). Is There A Fire In You. Accessed 3/2/13

http://www.fireinyou.org/• Firefighters1st (2012). AFCA Volunteer Firefighter Recruitment

Video. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t4aZ4wWv-u8