N.C. Career Firefighters Help Out Volunteer Depts.

May 01--For many Fayetteville firefighters, working full-time is not enough.

Justin Freeman has spent the last seven years working as a paid firefighter for the Fayetteville Fire Department and as a volunteer for the Bethany Volunteer Fire Department near Stedman.

On rotation for Fayetteville, he spends six days switching between 24 hours at the station and 24 hours off. He then gets a four-day break.

At least he would if he were not a captain at the Bethany department, too.

But that doesn't bother him.

"It's just enjoyment of the job and the benefit of helping people in the community," Freeman said.

Freeman said he loves the adrenaline of being a firefighter. A little hometown pride is also part of the equation, he said. Freeman lives in Stedman.

Most fire departments in Cumberland County are a mix of paid staff and volunteers. Stations are typically staffed during the day with between three and six paid firefighters.

Nights are covered by a core group of volunteers.

Some volunteer fire department chiefs say volunteers are the driving force behind their stations. Firefighters who work at multiple stations say they fill a critical gap, as well.

"With volunteer stations, it's hard for volunteers to be (at the station) in the middle of the day due to their jobs," firefighter J.D. Brigman said.

Brigman's reason to work at multiple stations is a little different than Freeman's.

He said he works at Bethany and a station in Bladen County -- on top of his full-time position in Fayetteville -- to make extra money for his family.

"It's not that we're broke," Brigman said. "It's for us to be able to do extra stuff when I am off."

Ronald Lewis, a battalion chief with the Fayetteville Fire Department, did not know how many city firefighters also work in the county. But it's pretty common, he said.

Lewis said a lot of Fayetteville firefighters started and were trained as volunteers before joining the city's ranks.

It is understandable that those firefighters do not want to sever those ties, he said.

"You're part of the community," Lewis said. "You've established those ties, and they maintain those relationships."

Lewis said city firefighters are allowed to work at other departments as long as they adhere to established city guidelines.

Those guidelines, which dictate all forms of outside employment, provide several specifications, including the number of hours needed to sleep before returning to work and the number of hours between shifts.

Lewis said it is possible for firefighters to get overwhelmed from the work, but those who are committing time to another department are not likely to.

"When you love what you do, it's not as likely," he said.

He said the relationship between the city's Fire Department and county stations has been strengthened through the overlap in personnel.

By being closely connected, it is easy to alert county firefighters of potential career opportunities in the city, Lewis said.

Staff writer Caitlin Dineen can be reached at [email protected] or 486-3509.

Copyright 2013 - The Fayetteville Observer, N.C.