Nov. 28--Fighting fires takes team work, and the five volunteer fire departments in the lower valley know this all too well as each of them actively seeks volunteers and several of them work with aging crews.
Each station has different holes to fill, and unique strengths to bring to the table, so for now they are each other's backup.
It takes a minimum of 18-20 fire fighters to take on a single residential structure fire according to Ferndale Fire Chief Ken Sharr. Since each station relies on volunteers who have fulltime jobs and other obligations, only about half of most fire crews are able to respond to an emergency call according to assistant Rollins Fire Chief Peggy Baird.
"When you look at those numbers, that is more than we have in total," Sharr said. "We have to rely on each other and that is where our greatest strength lies in."
ROLLINS
The Rollins Volunteer Fire Department currently has 10 active members, with some fluctuation between seasonal residents, and most are close to 60 years old according to Baird. Chief Terry Gore said the station is doing better than in the past but would like to see their numbers increase to 15.
"I wish we would find some younger people that would be interested," Baird said. "I run into some of the younger folks in the community and it's like 'come down and see what we do,' and everyone says they are too busy."
The station averaged four responders per call last year. Fortunately, their team of volunteers are experienced.
While having older volunteers means having more experience and knowledge about fighting fires, it also brings limitations and increased risk of injury.
"Heart attack is the leader in firefighter deaths," Gore said. "There's not too many people who are young and not many jobs in the Rollins area, so people commute and by the time they've commuted they've had enough for the day and that's a drawback for the area."
Rollins volunteer firefighters typically put in two or three hours of time each week. Baird estimated she volunteers 150 hours each year.
Rollins fire fighters train every Tuesday night at 7 p.m. and have a business meeting on the first Tuesday. Their coverage is from north of Dayton to the Flathead County line near the Lutheran camp south of Lakeside.
Those interested in volunteering are encouraged to attend their weekly training sessions.
SOMERS
The Somers Volunteer Fire Department currently has 25 volunteers. Somers Fire Marshall John Helke said he would like to see those numbers increase to 30 or 35.
Unlike their neighboring station in Rollins, the Somers crew is younger with volunteers between 19 and 50 years old. The Somers Fire Department typically gets about 230 emergency calls per year and it is often the same volunteers responding to the calls.
"It gets rough sometimes when it is the same guys each time," Helke said. "We just need more people involved that want to give back to their community."
Although the station is shorthanded, they have enough volunteers that it doesn't increase their response time. He speculated that a lot of Lakeside and Somers residents who normally would volunteer with the station left the area in search of employment in North Dakota.
"It seems like the people that are at the low end of the totem pole, the working class people, those are the people that are volunteering," Helke said. "It's the have-nots that are volunteering; it's just kind of the way it is."
Those interested in volunteering at the Somers fire station can attend their training sessions that are held every Tuesday from 7-9 p.m.
BIGFORK
The Bigfork Volunteer Fire Department currently has 37 volunteers, but several live outside of the district.
"When you get down to it there is a core of about 12 or 13 people, which is good, but I would like to get that core with four or five more with a medical background that could do fire and medical," Bigfork Fire Chief Wayne Loeffler said.
The Bigfork fire station's biggest need is for medically trained volunteers since the majority of their EMT Basic volunteers live outside of their fire district.
Much like Rollins, the Bigfork volunteer fire crew is also older according to Loeffler; the majority are in their mid-40s with the most experienced volunteers approaching 60.
"It is getting harder with the economic times and a change in the culture, Bigfork is about volunteering but the younger generation hasn't quite embraced that as much as in the past," Loeffler said. "It takes a lot of time, you get in it and you either like or not, there is no in between."
One way potential volunteers can find out if volunteering is right for them is by attending the Bigfork fire station's emergency medical response class that begins in January. There are no pre-requisites to participate and there are still a few open seats left.
Loeffler estimated the minimum amount of time needed to volunteer is about 100 hours a year with weekly training sessions and meetings every Tuesday at 6:30 p.m. Those interested in volunteering are encouraged to attend or call Loeffler at 837-4590.
FERNDALE
The Ferndale Volunteer Fire Department currently has 14 volunteers and Sharr would like to see that increase to 18, particularly with volunteers able to respond on weekdays.
Sharr said Ferndale's crew is also facing age limitations with the majority over the age of 50 and five of them in their 60s. Sharr said this means needing to have more breaks while putting out fires than if they were a younger group.
Another challenge Ferndale's station is facing stems from Ferndale's lack of housing. The station recently lost a volunteer who couldn't find an affordable rental property in the district.
"As areas become more affluent the dynamic of young people able to donate their time becomes more difficult to exercise," Sharr said. "I don't know how many employers are willing to let their people go, those days aren't as prevalent as they were in the past."
Those interested in volunteering with the Ferndale fire station can attend one of their training sessions or call the station at 837-6900 or Sharr at 837-3115 or 212-1590. Ferndale's training sessions are the first two Tuesdays of the month with a meeting on the third Tuesday.
CRESTON
The Creston Volunteer Fire Department currently has 34 volunteers and Creston Fire Chief Gary Mahugh would like to see that number increase to at least 40.
Unlike their neighboring stations, the Creston fire station's volunteers tend to be younger.
"We are luckier than them (the other stations) in that regard," Mahugh said. "We're probably better off than most, but we're always looking for people that want to volunteer their time for fire and medical responding."
However, they cover an area of 83 square miles from east of the Flathead River to just north of Bigfork and south of the Silver Bullet Bar on Highway 206, then out to the mountains from there.
Mahugh said the minimum time requirement for volunteering is about six hours each month. Their training sessions are held every Thursday at 7 p.m. at one of their four stations, 4498 Montana 35, 595 Lake Blaine Road, 3180 Foothill Road, and 2540 Montana 35.
For more information about the Creston Fire Department, go to crest onfire.org.
Volunteering
The fire departments work around their volunteers' work schedules, but volunteers are expected to respond to emergency calls when off the clock and to attend as many training sessions as possible.
Volunteers need to be at least 18 years old.
Those age 16 or older may join the cadet program if accompanied by an adult. Cadets can participate in training but not emergency calls until they turn 18 years old and become a full volunteer.
Copyright 2012 - Bigfork Eagle, Mont.
