As the demand for services outpaces a department’s ability to deliver service, many departments begin the natural transition from fully volunteer to some form of a combination system, Ron Cheves told participants at his FDIC 2012 Tuesday morning workshop, “Leading in Volunteer/Combination Departments.” The 40-year veteran of the fire service is a member of Idlewild (NC) Volunteer Fire Department, where he has been for 30 years. He leads the Red Ribbon courses for the Volunteer and Combination Officers Section of the International Association of Fire Chiefs. Chief Dan Eggleston of the Albemarle (VA) Fire Rescue, a 750-member combination department, was co-presenter.
The need to change from an all volunteer to a combination volunteer/paid department may arise because of the department’s inability to meet community needs, safety concerns, staffing issues brought on by demographic changes, and a limited revenue stream. The area may be losing population or may be transitioning to a bedroom community, Eggleston said, in which potential volunteers are unavailable during the daytime.
Paid mutual aid departments may have been reluctant to call on a volunteer department because of concerns about the adequacy of volunteers’ training, but that gap is closing, Cheves said. The 40 hours’ training required for a firefighter in 1978 has increased to 250 hours, in addition to emergency medical service training, according to Eggleston. This may also impact volunteers’ willingness to commit.
Cheves said to start the transition process, you have to identify the team members who will be involved in the assessment, planning, implementation, and evaluation phase of transition.
A transition plan should outline the relationship between the department and the local government and between the department and employees. It should include job descriptions, rules and responsibilities, ensure that volunteers have input, and give priority to preserving and growing the volunteer membership.
Promoting the plan to transition to a combination department requires obtaining buy-in from the firefighters, government officials, and the community.
Volunteers must know they are valued, Cheves said. In his department, it is emphasized that the paid staff are there to support the volunteers. In one department, he noted, the word “volunteer” was removed from the department’s name, and volunteers felt slighted, and started leaving.
Building support in the community and among government officials essential. “You have to educate the community about your needs,” Cheves said, and explain that the level of service provided depends on the revenue available. “You have to be transparent,” Cheves said, “People want to know where the money goes.”
