[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 163 (2017), Part 1]
[House]
[Page 1412]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




              IMPORTANCE OF FIREFIGHTERS IN RURAL AMERICA

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Chair recognizes the gentleman from 
Pennsylvania (Mr. Thompson) for 5 minutes.
  Mr. THOMPSON of Pennsylvania. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to speak 
about the unsung heroes in many rural communities throughout America: 
our volunteer firefighters.
  These dedicated volunteers answer the call 24 hours a day, 7 days a 
week. They spend time away from their families and homes. The training 
that is required can be costly and very time consuming.
  Our volunteer firefighters make these sacrifices because they care 
deeply about their friends and neighbors. They care about their 
communities.
  But rural America is facing a real problem with dwindling numbers of 
those who are willing to volunteer. A National Fire Protection 
Association report published last year shows the number of volunteer 
firefighters per 1,000 people has been decreasing since 1986.
  Gone are the days when those seeking to volunteer had to add their 
names to a waiting list to join their local fire department. Sometimes 
volunteers could wait for years to be added to the roster, but that is 
not how it is anymore as fewer individuals are interested in signing 
up.
  This is not unique to Pennsylvania, but it is happening in 
communities across the country. Small communities reap the benefits of 
having volunteer forces. According to a 2016 National Fire Prevention 
Association study, the time donated by volunteer firefighters saves 
localities across the country an estimated $139.8 billion a year.
  The savings are clear, and the service could not be more important. 
That is why last year I hosted two fire summits in my district to speak 
directly with local firefighters and try to identify not only the 
challenges that they face, but also some solutions to those problems.
  Funding is always a problem that plagues volunteer departments and 
can truly decline quickly when we think of what it costs to purchase 
new equipment and be compliant with the latest regulations. Small 
communities are often already stressed economically and do not have a 
tax base that can assume another increase; but equipment replacement is 
paramount, and it can sometimes mean the life or death of a 
firefighter.
  Volunteer fire departments also face training challenges. 
Firefighters in rural communities regularly need to travel long 
distances for instructional courses, and paying for the necessary 
training can be difficult. Training sessions might not focus enough on 
firefighting in rural communities, which is different from that in 
urban communities in a number of ways.
  Personnel challenges remain a constant issue with declining 
populations, aging firefighters who are not being replaced with those 
of a younger generation, and a lack of tangible retention incentives.

                              {time}  1015

  Yet, with all of these challenges, fire departments are faced with 
higher call volumes than ever before, according to a study from the 
National Volunteer Fire Council. Most fire departments across the 
country have experienced a steady increase in calls over the past two 
decades. This is a major source of the increased time demands on 
volunteer firefighters.
  The number of calls, coupled with the decline in the number of 
volunteer firefighters, means that fire departments are continuously 
spread too thin. Most of the increase is attributed to a sharp rise in 
the number of emergency medical calls, false alarms, and the use of 
mutual aid as the number of firefighters has decreased.
  Mr. Speaker, the dangerous work that these men and women do in order 
to protect the homes and livelihoods of Americans is not something that 
should be taken for granted. These first responders put their lives on 
the line and make great sacrifices in order to protect their neighbors 
and communities from harm. As a volunteer firefighter and EMT rescue 
technician myself and as a member of the Congressional Fire Caucus, I 
am grateful for the services that our first responders--brothers and 
sisters who serve the communities--provide and the constant state of 
readiness that they operate under.
  While we must not forget those who have made the ultimate sacrifice 
through their service, we must also ensure that their colleagues and 
all of our Nation's first responders are respected and have the 
resources they need to safely perform their jobs.
  That is why I am working with the volunteer fire departments in 
Pennsylvania's Fifth Congressional District to develop solutions--
ideas--to not only recruit more firefighters but to retain them. It is 
my hope that, by increasing awareness and examining incentives, we 
might be able to strengthen and grow the rosters of our volunteer fire 
departments. We know that this service is critical, and we must respect 
those who are willing to show up, day or night, to protect their 
neighbors.
  Thank you to all of our volunteers who answer when the alarm sounds. 
We value you; we respect you; and I hope we can find more of you to 
serve.

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