Recruitment grant to help fire department retain volunteers, Reminder News

Recruitment grant to help fire department retain volunteers

BY AL HEMINGWAY

ReminderNews

May 9, 2008

Since the 1970s, the number of volunteer firefighters has dramatically fallen across the nation. Colchester finds itself in a similar situation to other rural areas throughout the country, who, without sufficient active volunteers, become unable to provide adequate fire service and need to consider paid service instead.

Although the town is classified as a rural community, its 48-mile response area contains heavily-traveled Route 2 that takes many residents to the two casinos in the state.

“While we get no direct benefit from these casinos, they have added a noticeable burden on our department through increased calls,” wrote Colchester Fire Chief Walter Cox in his grant project description. In 2006, the CHFC responded to over 1,600 emergency calls. This equates to more than 13,000 man-hours and an additional 7,800 man-hours training,” he wrote.

The grant request was effective. On April 4, the Colchester Hayward Fire Company received a grant from the Federal Emergency Management Agency totaling $60,000. The funds will be dispersed over a four-year period – $15,000 per year beginning in June – to aid the department in recruiting and retaining members.

The Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response awarded the grant money, under the auspices of FEMA, to enhance the capabilities of the CHFC by attracting new members to cope with the increasing number of calls within the community.

CHFC officials attended a grant workshop given by U.S. Rep. Joe Courtney in 2007 to assist them in applying for the funds. The congressman also wrote to the Department of Homeland Security advising them to give the department the grant for the additional volunteers.

To qualify for rural status SAFER states that a community must have less than 500 people per square mile. Presently, Colchester has 330 residents per square mile. The CHFC has one paid chief and four full-time firefighters and more than 100 volunteers.

“The ultimate goal is staffing of six firefighters on scene in 14 minutes, 80 percent of the time,” said Cox. “Not knowing if the additional volunteers are available to respond during the day is becoming an unacceptable risk.”

The decline in volunteers is due to various reasons, and it can be seen in many areas within the community that depend on volunteers to be successful.

The poor economy is a major factor. Many households find that both parents must work two jobs to make ends meet, and that leaves little time for any other activities. When both parents are away during the daytime, they are more apt to prefer family time in their off hours, over volunteering.

The soaring cost of gasoline has also decreased the volunteerism spirit . Many people have curtailed their driving to save money on fuel.

Although Colchester initiated a tax abatement program in 2003 for property tax relief for volunteers, it is still not enough. Property taxes have increased by 25 percent since that time, reducing the incentive to join. “This money is now taxed by the IRS, and its amount is not adjusted over time,” said Cox.

The town also introduced the practice of paying mileage to volunteers. However, this compensation is not nearly enough to cover expenses for volunteers who respond to numerous calls. A paid department is another answer to the problem. But with the majority of the tax burden resting with the residential property owners, this may not be a feasible option, either.
The CHFC is looking at new and innovative ways to entice new volunteer members within its ranks. The grant money will certainly help in this endeavor.

“We have a dedicated, professional force of volunteers,” said Cox. “They are the core of our department. This grant money will certainly help in getting new members – training them – and hopefully, keeping them.”