At a time when many volunteer fire departments across Pennsylvania are experiencing declining membership, the past weekend's 57th annual Butler County Fire Chiefs Association training school provided justification for optimism about the future of this county's volunteer fire service.

At this year's two-day training event, 611 students attended 21 classes held Saturday and Sunday at several locations, including Butler County Community College, Slippery Rock University and the Pennsylvania State Fire Academy. Participants devoted the two days to taking refresher courses on how to deal with various fire situations, gained additional knowledge about the latest firefighting techniques, and were briefed on new laws affecting the fire service, as well as other proposals in the legislative pipeline.

With an eye on personnel needs in the years ahead, the training school also provided courses for junior firefighters ages 14 to 17 — the young people who represent the backbone of their respective departments' future.

Increasingly, volunteer fire departments' manpower needs are being challenged by members' more-hectic work schedules, family responsibilities, and other constraints. Not only is it important for departments to have sufficient personnel available whenever an emergency call is received, but those who respond must be prepared to handle virtually any challenge.

One of the fire school's aims was to provide an extra training edge to enable the volunteer firefighters to not only be more effective in getting emergencies under control quickly, but also to save lives — theirs and the other people caught up in emergencies.

"Volunteer services must have a much broader knowledge (than paid services) because we wear so many different hats," said Andrew Huerbin, association president and assistant chief of the Middlesex Volunteer Fire Department.

Regarding the junior firefighters who attended, Huerbin said this marked the second year that the fire school has tried to provide more training for them beyond basic firefighting.

During the fire school, the association also gave firefighters an opportunity to participate in an advanced trench rescue class. That session took place in Penn Township; it taught participants how to shore up hole collapses, and the right techniques for rescuing individuals trapped underneath.

Meanwhile, some of the training involved live fires staged in the community college's burn building and at a home in Grove City. Like other associations of its kind, the Butler County organization fully understands that books and discussion go only partway toward providing the skills necessary to effectively address whatever kind of situation confronts them.

This is the time of the year when volunteer fire departments exhibit their pride at festivals and parades. This week's Saxonburg Fire Company Carnival and parade usher in such events in this county.

It and other festivals of its kind deserve the generous support of the people they serve.

But while festivals provide money needed for fire companies' general operations, no festival can compare with the value of the training that took place during the past weekend. It is to county fire departments' credit that so many of their members rejected the temptation to relax and enjoy the summerlike weather conditions — and instead attended the school.

That decision will be rewarded when they are summoned to fires and other emergencies and are better prepared for what they encounter.