Vacancies: Fire departments may need your skills
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Most of us take a look at the kinds of people who run TOWARD a fire to help and think "Eh ... better them than me." But if you are the kind of person who thinks "I could do that. I want to help, too," West Virginia's fire departments need you.
The recently released Fire Prevention and Control plan by the West Virginia Fire Commission shows there are concerns about staffing at both paid and volunteer fire departments across the state. In some places, that's a real safety concern.
For example, according to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration, for every two firefighters inside a structure, two must be outside to render aid, if necessary.
"The manpower needs relative to fire and other related hazard responses are critical to the safety of the citizens of West Virginia and those responding to these emergencies and hazards," the plan states.
But while State Fire Marshal Ken Tyree knows there are a significant number of vacancies, he is unable to give exact figures about what is needed and where.
"Because about 96% of West Virginia's fire departments -- 423 in total -- are volunteer or partially paid, our office does not currently track a statewide vacancy rate, though doing so may become feasible in the future," he said.
The problem is multi-faceted, then, in a state that is among the deadliest in the country for housefires. More firefighters are needed, and better data and tracking is necessary.
"The number of volunteer firefighters in the U.S. reached a low in 2020," the plan says. "At the same time, call volume has more than tripled in the last 35 years due in large part to the increase in emergency medical calls."
That means volunteer departments could use help from some people who may not consider themselves needed for the job.
"We see an opportunity to engage community members outside the traditional fire service -- such as educators, accountants and tradespeople -- to assist with non-operational support, risk reduction education, and administrative tasks," Tyree said.
In communities served by volunteer fire departments, residents are often used to a "we take care of ourselves" mindset. But that means in many of those communities, it's time for a new generation to step up.
If you've ever considered it, now might be the time to check in with your local VFD and ask a few questions. You never know. You might be exactly who they are looking for.