Recruiting firefighters an ongoing battle
Similar to the rest of the state, the majority of Butler County's fire departments are staffed by volunteers, and over the past few decades the number of those willing to volunteer has dwindled.
According to the Pennsylvania Fire and Emergency Services Institute, the number of volunteer firefighters has diminished from 300,000 in the 1970s to about 60,000 in the early 2000s and to 38,000 in 2018.
Of Pennsylvania's 2,462 fire companies, more than 90 percent are volunteer companies.
The state Senate issued a report, SR6, in September 2019, detailing potential approaches to deal with the decreasing number of volunteers. The report estimates the value of the volunteer emergency responders in the state to be worth $10 billion.
In Cranberry Township, stipends are beginning to be offered to increase the number of firefighters, and with the coronavirus limiting social interaction, recruitment and fundraising efforts have gone online.
“Recruitment is constantly happening. We're always looking at what strategy is working, and it always has been a constant revision,” said Scott Goehring, Cranberry's chief for Fire Emergency Services. Goehring is also the chief for Harmony Fire District.
“Really, social media is our best recruitment tool with showing what we do. Showing that we go on calls and portraying that positive community image,” Goehring said.
Goehring and others noted that earlier this year, emergency calls dropped when the strictest virus precautionary measures were in place. Since then, he has observed a return to normal activity.
“One of your best recruitment tools is being busy,” Goehring said.
For Goehring, he said the important thing to communicate during recruitment efforts is what being part of a fire department means.
“A lot of people come here come looking for a sense of camaraderie, belonging or purpose, and we can provide that for everyone,” Goehring said. “I want to be part of something that is amazing and has growth potential. I joined the fire department to do cool things.”
In Harmony, there are about 50 active members and Cranberry Township has around 60 to 70, according to Goehring, and all of those members have to be up to date with their training and certifications.
In Cranberry, Goehring said they began paying people a nominal fee to retain their numbers.
“It's not full wage, but it's used as incentive to be on station and provide that service,” he said.
Goehring first joined as a volunteer when he was 16 years old. At the time, Zelienople had its own fire department, which he joined because of friends.
“Friends made (me) join. And that's usually the draw, even now — it's hard to get people who have zero contact with those in public safety or family in those fields. That's where social media comes in with Harmony,” Goehring said. “It makes them go, 'Oh, that's pretty cool. I'd like to be a part of that.'”
Goehring said that because of COVID-19, in-person events that fire departments would usually hold have been canceled, reducing the possible exposure people have to recruitment and fundraising efforts.Each year, state aid for Volunteer Fire Relief Associations is collected from a 2 percent tax on fire insurance policies sold in Pennsylvania by out-of-state companies, and is sent to volunteer fire departments to fund buying equipment, training, insurance and death benefits.In 2019, county municipalities received more than $1.1 million of the $60 million released statewide by state Auditor General Eugene DePasquale's office. In 2018, the county received $1 million of $55 million statewide.Cranberry Township received the highest amount in the county last year at $232,808, followed by the Adams Area Fire District at nearly $112,000. Butler Township Volunteer Fire District came in third at $104,404. Bruin Borough received $2,046.50.Another obstacle for retaining volunteers, Goehring said, is the training required to serve.“Training is not easy — huge commitment, but the rewards are sometimes tremendous,” Goehring said.To be an operational firefighter, applicants have to undergo training totaling 168 hours, according to Kevin Smith, who trains firefighters as the coordinator of fire hazmat programs at Butler County Community College. Smith is also the assistant chief of Butler Township Volunteer Fire District.“In Butler County, it's nice to have this facility here. We have different props available, the engines, tools and equipment that is just readily available,” Smith said, noting they also have a building where fires can be lit relatively safely for training purposes.“There's a lot of documentation that shows decline of volunteers,” Smith said. “We feel it from here. We're all hurting for people. I think it's just a different society than it was years ago.”Smith said that stipends can be a good solution, but the use of them defeats the purpose of having a volunteer fire force.“Volunteer fire departments are there because there's no money,” he said. “The volunteer fire service saves the commonwealth billions.”Smith said that when he first started as a firefighter 32 years ago, there was more of an emphasis on volunteering. “People just believe they don't have the time anymore,” Smith said. “Some people are less willing, but a lot of it when you get into it you have both parents working, and now with COVID you have parents with children that are no longer in school, so they have to take care of kids instead of volunteering.”Smith said that in Butler Township, the situation is much like the rest of the county. “We make our calls, but we could always use new volunteers,” he said. “It's hard to say what the future holds. I hope we get more people to join. I would foresee a possible stipend program if we keep losing people.”
<br />
<br />
