IS THE VOLUNTEER FIRE SERVICE DEAD? A lot of firefighters think so, but the evidence shows that, despite the decline in numbers of volunteer firefighters, the volunteer fire service is far from needing resuscitation. Nevertheless, fire service leaders can do a much better job of addressing the problem-. Improvement requires that we first recognize the problem as well as its magnitude.The ProblemSince 1985, national statistics show a roughly 10-percent decline in volunteer firefighters. During this same period, populations have soared, causing call volumes to follow suit. As a practitioner and researcher, I often try to relate empirical data to actual situations that I experience. As a member of a mostly volunteer combination department, I expect to see 10 percent fewer volunteer firefighters at incidents. However, what I am seeing is worse. Recently, I have responded to auto extrications and structure fires where there have been zero volunteer firefighters in attendance. Although this is uncommon, the occurrence is disturbing and warrants great attention. How bad is the decline, and what is the cause?
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