It’s been awhile since I’ve written anything.  As it does with all of us, time has flown by and life gets busy.  I’m working on a new project that I’m hoping will be ready soon.  As soon as time allows, I’ll release more information.  So for my first post back after a few months off I want to discuss the volunteer fire service.  I’ve been a proud member of the volunteer fire service for almost 10 years and so much has changed in that time.  To summarize my feelings after those years of service – the largest enemy of the volunteer fire service is itself.

The fire service was started by volunteers, and this is a fact that weighs heavily on me with every emergency call I respond to.  I am representing something that is far larger than myself.  Every single time I put on the uniform my views, opinions, thoughts, ideas, and actions all reflect on the thousands of women and men that came before me.  With that notion in mind, our goal as emergency responders should always be to be the absolute best that we can be.  Our job is challenging and people rely on us.  Citizens expect that when we call 911 we will solve their problems and we will do it with a smile.  While this idea sounds simple when written on a page, when demonstrated in real time it can be unbelievably complex.  Today’s emergency responder is faced with threats, challenges, and training demands that the responder of years past would have never imagined.  Put simply – we must be the best that we are able to be.  The volunteer fire service is facing a crisis.  Recruitment and retention are down and money is consistently hard to come across.  As a paramedic and volunteer firefighter I find myself frustrated by the lack of resources but as a citizen I find myself frustrated by the idea that my taxes should be providing the resources needed without additional donations.  This contradiction within my own thinking led me to the conclusion that volunteering is a deeply personal decision and at its core requires true commitment by the individual.  As time has passed, we have continued to provide incentives and rewards for those giving their time and we’ve continued to make excuses for those who cannot adhere to the demands required.  This has led to a system where members do not adhere to the training demands and the leaders continue to allow it in the name of statistics and “getting the pieces out the door”.  As time continues, this mentality will only result in injury or even death.  The volunteer fire service must accept that in order to be successful the bar must be kept high and using the excuse of a “volunteer crisis” is inappropriate at best and lethal at worst.  When evaluating prospective members it is critical that we determine the true motivations of the individual.  Does this person have the time required and the incredible dedication needed in order to be successful?  All too often our concerns are focused on whether or not an individual will conform to the culture.  This is backwards thinking, new members should bring fresh ideas and new solutions to the problems that challenge us.  Particularly within the realm of EMS the demands continue to go up and providing incentives for those without personal dedication is a recipe for failure.  Individuals that require significant incentive to be successful will ultimately fail to find success within the volunteer fire service as no amount of money will ever pay back the time, working conditions, and emotional impact of the job.  Even within the career service, paramedics are not paid enough to find satisfaction by financial incentive alone.  As time goes on, individuals will only attempt to degrade the standards and reduce it down to their level of commitment, not the level of commitment that is required.  Despite the increasing competition from career fire departments, the volunteer fire service must continue to adhere to the high standards required of emergency responders in order to be successful in the long term.

Despite the obvious political implications these views aren’t directed at any group or entity.  These are views formed over many years, and with experiences at all sorts of different volunteer agencies, both successful and unsuccessful.  It may not seem it but I am truly dedicated to the volunteer fire service and I believe it to still be a formidable and relevant asset.  In order to continue to grow and flourish we must keep the bar high.  If we can’t keep the standards high then perhaps we should seek alternative employment.