May 25--The New Bern fire department is looking at ways to save money and supplement its staffing level with part-time volunteer firefighters.
Chief Robert Aster presented the idea to New Bern aldermen Tuesday during a budget work session.
For the past several years, the New Bern fire department has relied on volunteers to fill in the gaps when staff levels were low. They were compensated for hours worked with a stipend from the volunteer fire department budget, Aster said.
Since July 2012, firefighters responded to 194 structure fires, and volunteers helped in 25 of those, Aster said.
But the number of people joining volunteer fire departments is declining, and the department now has four certified volunteer firefighters on its roster in case they are needed, Aster said.
Sabrina Bengel, mayor pro-tem, said the decline of volunteer firefighters was a problem across the country. At one time, the volunteer fire departments were the "social center" of communities, she said.
Aster said he could remember when volunteer firefighters who were mailmen would drive their mail trucks to a fire when the siren went off at the station.
The declining numbers of volunteers in New Bern will necessitate an increase in the New Bern fire department's overtime budget to cover scheduled events and to maintain staffing levels when firefighters are out sick or out of town training, Aster said.
But hiring seven or eight part-time firefighters while retaining the four on the callback list would benefit the department and save on expenses, he said.
"Most small towns are doing this now," Aster said.
Some towns in Carteret and Onslow counties now hire part-time volunteer firefighters, Aster said.
This year, the New Bern fire department budgeted $15,729 for overtime and working special events. The $4,200 budgeted by the volunteer fire department for callback duty would bring the total to $19,929.
Part-time certified firefighters would be able to provide the same service for about $7,800, Aster said.
Stanley Kite, Craven County director of emergency services, said Thursday the number of volunteer firefighters and volunteer emergency medical personnel was declining because of a changing economy and geography.
About 15 years ago, half of the volunteer firefighters were self-employed, now that is only about 1 percent. And today it is not uncommon for someone to commute 50 miles to work, Kite said.
Other factors of the decline include stricter regulations placed on fire departments and mandatory training that is "nearly overwhelming," he said.
"A lot of smaller departments are struggling to meet those regulations," he said.
Kite said if New Bern did hire some part-time volunteer firefighters it could benefit someone unable to afford being a volunteer, or a certified volunteer firefighter who needs supplemental income, and New Bern could benefit by paying less for their services.
Craven County, which has about 700 volunteer firefighters, is always looking for volunteers, Kite said.
Eddie Fitzgerald can be reached at 252-635-5675 or at [email protected]. Follow him on Twitter @staffwriter3.
Copyright 2013 - Sun Journal, New Bern, N.C.
