Volunteer firefighters deserve our thanks

I speak often, some would say naively, about the miracle of volunteer community service and service above self. Perhaps I remain disturbingly optimistic, but I still think leaders can put their interests and agendas aside and do what is best for the greater community, the difference between a dying and a vibrant community is what we all do for each other, for free, and volunteers do for others at the same time they fulfill themselves.

This month is the first and, hopefully, annual unified volunteer firefighter recruitment drive. Volunteer fire departments must try harder each year to get the word out because we, the consuming public, have come to expect people to perform services for us. Only when the fee for professional public servants becomes too expensive, their job security too out-of-whack, or their pension liabilities too debilitating for our children to bear do we wonder if there perhaps could be a better way.

In the meantime, volunteer firefighting departments must work hard to capture our attention. You see, we often fail to notice until we have already lost what we should have valued all along.

Let us take a moment to better understand all they do for us. Some facts may surprise you.

In this country, most firefighters are volunteer. In fact, of the 1,148,100 firefighters in the U.S., 812,150 of them are volunteers. Only 39 percent of firefighters are paid, while the balance, or 71 percent of them, protect our homes, our lives and our pets, and keep our fire insurance rates affordable through their generosity of time and spirit.

In fact, of the 30,165 fire departments in this country, only 2,457 are all-career firefighters, while 25,956 are all or mostly volunteer.

These volunteers are true heroes because they protect us from fire, disaster, attacks, medical emergencies or whatever we may call upon them to do on our behalf. The National Fire Protection Association recently determined that volunteer firefighters provide us with $128 billion in benefits each year.

Yet, time demands from two-income families, increased required sophistication and training standards, and unsupportive employers demand even greater sacrifice from these heroes. Even federal laws designed to protect labor, at the expense of volunteers, bickering between communities, and resentment by career fire departments have compounded to make the job of volunteer firefighters even more difficult.

Despite the extraordinary value these volunteer heroes provide on our behalf, and because of these varied challenges to volunteer fire departments, their ranks have been dwindling by 10 percent over the quarter century, while their average age is increasing.

Some enlightened communities have been doing small but meaningful things to help their plight. A few offer small property-tax exemptions as a very modest way to thank these heroes. The federal tax code allows some volunteers to deduct mileage and some expenses for their efforts. And, communities are often reasonable in providing these firefighters with the equipment they need.

However, volunteer firefighters do not earn a living from their volunteerism, do not have unions or advocacy groups to lobby Albany on their behalf, and do not have a lot of time in their very full days to figure out how to garner more resources from their town councils.

Sometimes, these volunteers, too, ask for and are given fire halls more grand than necessary, or equipment that does not make the best economic sense. Sometimes, volunteers view those in adjoining towns as competitors rather than collaborators. Sometimes, these departments that run on the energy of volunteers could be more sophisticated in teasing the best effort out of their cadre. With a bit more awareness, the managers of volunteers can learn how to recognize and value the sacrifices every volunteer makes and create more and easier avenues of service as the personal needs of volunteers change. And, sometimes, volunteer firefighters could be more effective in getting their word out.

Not this weekend, though. On Saturday and Sunday, April 9-10, many local volunteer fire departments will fling open their doors and ask you, the public for whom they serve, to come in, see what they do, and perhaps consider whether you would like to join their ranks. I hope you consider this enriching opportunity, for the sake and sustainability of our communities.