Some local township fire departments are facing a lack of volunteer firefighters, a trend that's been seen nationwide.
In Pleasant Twp., its membership has dropped nearly in half in a little more than a decade as older volunteers haven't been replaced.
If that decline continues, that could create a safety issue, Pleasant Twp. Chief Mike Willis said.
"Residents now, they expect that service and with the decline, that (service) may also decline," he said. "And that's not what you want to happen."
According to the National Volunteer Fire Council, volunteers make up about 70 percent of firefighters in the U.S.
"It's still a majority of the fire service," said Kimberly Quiros, the council's director of communications.
But the number of volunteer firefighters has dropped by 14 percent nationwide since 1984.
The decline is often attributed to increased time demands by families and two-income households and more training requirements.
Pleasant Twp. had about 50 members when Willis started with the department in about 2000.
Now it has about 25 members, and only six to eight of them can regularly respond to runs. Many of the regular responders don't live in the township.
That didn't used to be the case.
"You had more than you ever needed to go out on a run," he said. "Now, things have changed. There is so much more training required for fire and EMS. The people we have today, a lot of people, their kids never really picked up on it."
So in Pleasant Twp., the department wants to recruit more members and trustees recently agreed to increase the paid day shift at the station from 10 to 12 hours to ensure coverage.
"I know there's qualified people out there, they just don't have the time," Willis said.
Volunteer fire departments also lean on each other. Between 6 a.m. and 6 p.m. -- when they rely on the volunteers -- Willis said they automatically call for mutual aid from Harmony Twp. in the case of a structure fire or other larger emergency.
"Any more, that's what it takes to get a full crew out," Willis said.
"It's good because we can utilize both departments," said Denny Paul, Harmony Twp.'s fire chief.
Paul said his department has about 25 members, down from about 35 a decade ago.
He said they struggle with volunteers during the daytime when most people are working.
"We do extremely well once you get past the work hours," Paul said. "The daytime is really tough because we have people working."
Some of the larger townships in Clark County, like Bethel Twp., have bigger numbers, thanks to their proximity to bigger cities.
Bethel Twp. Fire & EMS Chief Jacob King said they draw members from places like Dayton, Springfield, Huber Heights and Vandalia. They've got approximately 60 members, but he said attracting new volunteer firefighters is a statewide problem.
One of the main issues facing volunteer fire departments, King said, is the increased training required. Volunteers currently need 56 hours over three years, but most departments require them to do 180 hours of training to become Level 1 firefighters.
"It's now a pretty significant commitment to be a volunteer," King said.
Paul said his department pays to train new volunteers, which costs approximately $1,500 to $2,000 to train new members.
Many volunteers are paid for their time. Quiros said there's no national standard for how departments pay volunteers, but they use methods including paying per hour, per call, offering a yearly stipend or tax incentives. Some volunteers are also traditional volunteers.
Most volunteers are compensated throughout the county. In Harmony Twp., volunteers are paid $8.50 to $10 per run, regardless of how long a run may last. The part-time, day-shift receive $13 an hour.
The average age of volunteer firefighters has increased, the national council said. In communities with populations of 10,000 to 24,999, the percentage of firefighters age 50 and older increased from 12.6 percent nationally in 1987 to 18.7 percent in 2010.
The council has launched a National Junior Firefighter Program to promote youth involvement in fire and EMS activities. However, according to its website, it doesn't have any programs in Clark or Champaign counties.
The council uses several techniques to attract new members, including Fire Corps, a national initiative to recruit community members into local fire and EMS departments to perform non-emergency roles.
"A lot of people want to help the department, but don't necessarily want to be a firefighter," Quiros said. "They can help with a lot of other tasks."
King said Bethel Twp. uses social media like Facebook to attract new volunteers. He said they purchase inexpensive ads that target certain demographics in their area.
Willis said there's no one to blame for a lack of volunteers, just that it's a sign of the times.
"People have to work and take care of their family, and volunteering is going to come second to them," Willis said.
Copyright 2012 - Dayton Daily News, Ohio
McClatchy-Tribune News Service
