Reply #56: I don't think so [View All]

[sweetapogee]

South Fulton Fire Dept uses volunteer labor. In order to operate the fire department, half of the volunteer labor time is spent training and responding to calls, the other half or more is spent running fundraisers to make up the difference between the amount of funding the city pays and the amount of funding needed to actually operate the fire dept. What other government department runs fund raisers to make expenses? None.

When people receiving the services, regardless of how deserving they may be don't pay or contribute in kind, then the volunteer labor force has to make up even more of the difference. Put enough of these non-payers who in this case are not only outside of the fire district, they are out of state, and eventually the volunteers will go into full scale revolt.

In my fire company we have a hard time finding new members. And know this, we are considered one of, if not the best trained in the county. Even if we were to toss out the fund raising requirement (which we cannot do) and go with just state mandated minimum training, the amount of time and effort is steep, really steep. It is a know fact within the industry that the absolute biggest challenge facing the volunteer fire corps in the US, which by the way, 3/4 of the nations firefighters are volunteers, is getting new and maintaining older active members.

I'm lucky in that we have adequate membership, at least for now. Sooner or later though, the volunteer system is going to fall apart unless the public steps up to the plate like they used to do. When and if the volly system falls apart, it will be a complete nightmare for 85% of the country. Because of the volunteer system and the amount of fiscal responsibility the volunteer fire service takes on for itself, folks have really no idea how much money it takes to provide this service. When they find out, it will be a rude awakening.