Fire departments need help

03/23/2009 03:31 PM
By: Ryan Burgess
Click to watch the video

HINSDALE, Mass - "A fire doesn't care if you're paid, professional, volunteer or a call person. A fire is going to treat you the same," said Hinsdale Fire Chief Larry Turner.



Turner is trying to spark a little interest in joining his department. All over the county, volunteer fire departments are asking for help. A shortage of staff is putting towns at greater risk if a major fire ignites.



"What we really need is the firefighter who wants to give the time, give the effort, get all the training required of them," said Turner.



But that comes at a cost. A poor economy means many people are working overtime just to makes ends meet, leaving little time to volunteer.




Fire departments need help
The Massachusetts Call/Volunteer Firefighter Association is asking for your help. A new recruitment campaign is underway because of a shortage of volunteers. Our Ryan Burgess reports.

"If you're working a second job you just don't have time to put into being a volunteer of any sorts, [let] alone being a firefighter, which takes much more of your time," said Turner.



In neighboring Peru, it's not just about time. It's also about money.



"The main part of the recruiting issue is the training and the equipment to outfit the volunteers with. It takes an average of $2,000 to properly equip the firemen," said Peru Fire Chief Eric Outenrietch.



According to the Massachusetts Call/Volunteer Firefighters Association, there's now some federal money because this shortage is now a national problem.



Last year the Hinsdale Fire Department had twenty volunteer firefighters. This year they're down to 15. That's why the chief says he needs at least five more, and that's not counting EMTs.



Peru is also down to 15 and their chief says he'd also like to add another five.

Massachusetts Call/Volunteer Firefighters Association begins Statewide Volunteer Firefighter and EMT Recruitment Campaign

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Teaticket, MA, March 19, 2009 The Massachusetts Call/Volunteer Firefighters Association’s (MCVFA) Statewide Volunteer Firefighter/EMT Recruitment Campaign begins on March 23, 2009 with the first public airing of public service announcements on both television and radio. This campaign is being partially funded through the federal government's Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response (SAFER) grant program. The MCVFA was awarded $291,600 in June 2008 to run a statewide volunteer firefighter and EMT recruitment program.
Recruitment of new volunteers is a major and long-standing national problem for volunteer fire departments and small combination fire departments. The MCVFA campaign hopes to raise the awareness for the need of new volunteers and to match potential recruits with their local fire and emergency medical service departments. The Recruitment Program will track how well the volunteer and department have progressed over a one year period. This information will then be reported back the federal government.
Currently, there are about 110 fire departments in Massachusetts that rely entirely upon call or volunteer firefighters and another 160 that use a combination of call/volunteer firefighters and career firefighters. About 40% of all firefighters in Massachusetts are volunteer firefighters; nationally, the percentage is 75%.
The center of the program is a media campaign using both television and radio. Produced by Team Media of Quincy, the announcements utilize fire departments in Lanesboro, Shelburne, Lakeville, and West Barnstable to show the rewards of serving as a volunteer firefighter and EMT. Potential volunteers will be directed to call 1-800-FIRELINE where they will be asked to leave their name, location, and other information. Representatives of the National Volunteer Fire Council (NVFC), working in support of the MCVFA, will then contact both the volunteer and the local fire and/or ems departments with the goal to bring the two together.
In Western Massachusetts, the recruitment campaign will focus on using broadcast and cable television and radio advertisements. In Eastern Massachusetts, the recruitment campaign will rely heavily upon cable television in selected communities. The difference in approaches between the eastern and western parts of Massachusetts is due to differences in the distribution of call/volunteer fire departments. In Western Massachusetts, the vast majority of the fire departments are volunteer or combination departments. There are only about a dozen career fire departments in the four western counties. In the Boston Metro area (inside Route 128), there are only about a dozen volunteer or combination fire departments, and in the area from Route 128 to Worcester, there is wide mix of departments.

In February, a series of workshops were held across the state to inform local fire chiefs about the Recruitment Program and to provide recruitment materials and assistance on recruitment strategies. These materials ranged from brochures that can be used locally to standardized application forms and job descriptions.

This program is all about supporting volunteer and combination fire departments and was conceived 18 months ago before the current economic problems were even imagined. The SAFER Grant requires the MCVFA to complete the project by June 13, 2009. The same economic pressures that are forcing layoffs of career firefighters are creating difficulties for volunteer fire departments. Every fire department is struggling to provide adequate staffing and this program’s only purpose is to help volunteer and combination fire departments meet their community needs.

The MCVFA does not advocate the replacement of career firefighters with volunteer firefighters.

The MCVFA is a statewide organization that represents and supports the volunteer fire service in Massachusetts. The MCVFA is a private non-profit corporation. Its membership is made up of on-call and volunteer firefighters. The MCVFA has over 4000 members.

For further information, please contact:

Joe Maruca 508-362-3241 legislative@mcvfa.org

Mike Bird 508-295-2716 mbird@mcvfa.org

Tom Burnett 617-719-1289 president@mcvfa.org

Larry Holmberg 413-529-1700 editor@mcvfa.org

Jim Burnham 413-625-2636 treasurer@mcvfa.org

National Junior Firefighter Program Scholarship Application Period Now Open

The application period for the 2009 National Junior Firefighter Program scholarships, sponsored by Baskin-Robbins®, is now open. Ten $5,000 scholarships will be awarded to junior firefighters nationwide who demonstrate commitment and dedication to their local junior firefighter program and the fire service. The application and criteria for the competitive scholarships are available on the National Volunteer Fire Council (NVFC) web site at http://juniors.nvfc.org/scholarships.php. Applications must be received by 5pm EDT on May 15.

Thanks to the support of Baskin-Robbins and the Dunkin' Brands Community Foundation, which is dedicated to serving those who serve others – especially in times of crisis, the 2009 NVFC National Junior Firefighter Scholarship and Grant Program is offering a combined total of $100,000 in scholarships to outstanding junior firefighters and grants to departments to support their junior firefighter programs. Hundreds of exceptional junior firefighters from across the country applied for last year's scholarships, and this year is expected to attract even more applicants.

New in 2009, the $50,000 in department grants will be awarded separately from the $50,000 in scholarships. The ten $5,000 grants sponsored by the Dunkin' Brands Community Foundation will help departments further develop or expand their existing junior firefighter program. The grant application period will open in April and close August 15. Additional information will be provided in the coming months.

Department members and junior firefighter program coordinators are encouraged to inform their department’s junior members about the scholarship opportunity. Scholarships can be applied to a two- or four-year institution of higher learning, a trade school, or a certification program. Students who are a senior in high school or who have graduated from high school within the past three years are eligible for the scholarship. For full program criteria, visit www.nvfc.org/juniors.

If your department has a junior firefighter program, or you or someone you know is an outstanding junior firefighter who is a high school senior or recent high school graduate, visit www.nvfc.org/juniors for application criteria and requirements. Learn more about the National Junior Firefighter Program at www.nvfc.org/juniors.



About the National Junior Firefighter Program
The NVFC National Junior Firefighter Program helps fire and EMS organizations nationwide develop, grow, and promote local programs that encourage youth participation in the fire and emergency services. In addition, youth can use the Program to find out how to join a local fire, rescue, or EMS organization, keep track of their hours of service, and earn exciting rewards after spending a set number of hours helping their department. The Program is supported by the Dunkin’ Brands Community Foundation, Baskin-Robbins, Tyco International, and Spartan Motors, Inc. Find out more at www.nvfc.org/juniors. About the National Volunteer Fire Council
The National Volunteer Fire Council (NVFC) is the leading nonprofit membership association representing the interests of the volunteer fire, emergency medical, and rescue services. The NVFC serves as the voice of the volunteer in the national arena and provides invaluable tools, resources, programs, and advocacy for first responders across the nation. Learn more at www.nvfc.org.

About Baskin-Robbins
Named the top ice cream and frozen dessert franchise in the United States by Entrepreneur magazine’s 29th annual Franchise 500® ranking, Baskin-Robbins is the world’s largest chain of ice cream specialty shops. Baskin-Robbins creates and markets innovative, premium ice cream, specialty frozen desserts and beverages, providing quality and value to consumers at more than 6,000 retail shops in 35 countries. Baskin-Robbins was founded by two ice cream enthusiasts whose passion led to the creation of more than 1,000 ice cream flavors and a wide variety of delicious treats. Headquartered in Canton, Mass., Baskin-Robbins is part of the Dunkin’ Brands, Inc. family of companies. For further information, visit www.baskinrobbins.com.

About The Dunkin’ Brands Community Foundation
The Dunkin’ Brands Community Foundation brings together a wide network of stakeholders, including our Dunkin’ Donuts and Baskin-Robbins franchisees, crew members and employees, to support the service and leadership of emergency response organizations – especially in times of crisis. The Foundation supports emergency responders by providing financial assistance, building capacity, developing partnerships, encouraging volunteerism and honoring local heroes. To learn more about the Dunkin’ Brands Community Foundation, please visit www.dunkinbrands.com/foundation. ###

Fire Dept. gets $105,000

Sunday, March 08
SOUTHFIELD — New Marlborough Fire and Rescue has announced it has received more than $105,000 in two grants it will use to improve safety for its members.
The department received $101,262 Assistance to Firefighters Grant (AFG) from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security's Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). It also received a $3,900 grant from the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.

"Both of these grants will be used to purchase items that will improve the safety of our members while at calls and while at the station," said New Marlborough Fire Chief Peter Scala. "The FEMA grant, in particular, will allow us to buy equipment that we need now, but which we would have otherwise had to acquire in phases over several budget-years. Each of our members, and the town as a whole, will benefit from these grants."

The FEMA grant will purchase protective turnout gear and new boots for each of New Marlborough Fire and Rescue's approximately 34 members, including 20 firefighters and 14 members of the department's rescue squad. New turnout gear, also known as personal protective equipment, can often cost more than $2,000 per set, which includes heavy-duty, fire-resistant pants and coat.

The FEMA grant will also purchase exhaust filters — which remove harmful toxins from diesel exhaust — for installation on the department's two engines, its tanker, brush truck and its ambulance. The grant will


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also pay for a new thermal imaging camera.
The $3,900 state grant will be used to purchase five lit, reflective cones for each department apparatus, four pagers, and a battery-powered reciprocating saw that will be added to the department's extrication equipment.

"These items are valuable additions to our inventory and all of it is equipment that our firefighters and first responders will use many times over," said Scala, who wrote the Department's FEMA grant application.

Nationally, the AFG awards, which will be distributed in phases, will ultimately provide approximately $560 million to fire departments and nonaffiliated emergency medical service organizations throughout the country.

AFG awards aim to enhance response capabilities and to more effectively promote the health and safety of the public with respect to fire and other hazards. The grants enable local fire departments and emergency medical services organizations to purchase or receive training, conduct first responder health and safety programs and buy equipment and response vehicles.

Founded in 1930, New Marlborough Fire & Rescue includes more than 30 members who provide fire, ambulance and other emergency services in the town of New Marlborough. The department's station is located in Southfield. For anyone interested in joining, training is held at 7 p.m. each Tuesday at the station, with first Tuesdays of the month reserved for the department's business meeting. New members are welcome.