Challenges Always Have Been Part of the Deal - So Buck Up

摘要

This is the time of year when it is customary to predict what the next 12 months might bring, often based on what transpired in the previous year. All indications are that 2012 will be challenging for our nation's volunteer fire service. Perhaps the greatest challenge concerns the continuing decline in the number of volunteer firefighters, which is at its lowest level in nearly three decades. In 2009, the volunteer fire service lost 15,000 members; 2010 was even worse, with a further loss of 44,000 members. And in 2010, the number of volunteer firefighters shrunk an additional 5.5%. This decline primarily is attributable to a decrease in volunteers for communities under 2,500 in population. While these statistics are disappointing, it is important to bear in mind that there are still 768,150 volunteer firefighters, representing about 70% of all firefighters in the country. Further, of the 30,125 fire departments across America, roughly 85% of them are all- or mostly volunteer, and they protect about 35% of the country's population.