CINCINNATI (WKRC) – There is an effort underway in Ohio to recruit more volunteer firefighters as the number of volunteers has steadily declined in recent years.
These efforts recently gained new momentum when Governor Mike DeWine launched a campaign to encourage people to apply.
About 70% of firefighters in the state are volunteers, so it’s concerning that the number of volunteer firefighters has been declining recently. From 2018 to 2021, the number of volunteer firefighters in Ohio decreased by 6.5%. At the same time, there was a 9% increase in emergency calls.
Volunteer firefighters get paid little or nothing per hour, and rely on fundraisers to raise money for things like training, equipment and maintenance. But a new initiative from Columbus leaders aims to address some of those problems.
First, the state will air PSA commercials over the next few months encouraging people to apply to become volunteer firefighters. Also, following recommendations from a volunteer firefighter task force created in 2022, training, which can cost up to $1,000, will now be covered by the state rather than individual departments.
“It’s not just about you getting the training. It’s about us having to equip you to keep you safe,” said BJ Jetter, chief of the Glendale Volunteer Fire Department. “The training and the equipment we have to wear is also important. All of that is very important. Just the equipment for a firefighter costs five to six thousand dollars before we even outfit them. And then the other equipment you wear is almost $5,000. So every firefighter with equipment costs almost $10,000.”
These shortages don’t just affect firefighting operations, as volunteers also respond to emergency calls. Jetter also said they will continue to advocate for more funding in hopes of funding more advanced firefighting training courses for all volunteers.
