Chinook Volunteer Fire Department Faces Recruiting Dilemma

 

July 10, 2019

Wishing for a sign that would set the Chinook fire station apart from other fire stations, the CVFD found a metal sign builder in Hobson, Montana. The proprietor and fabricator of Woods Metals created-by hand and without computers-a unique piece of artwork at a fraction of the cost for which other companies had bid the job.

Imagine being in a horrific situation such as a house fire or a vehicle accident where immediate help is required. In the event of such horror, someone typically calls 911 so that emergency personnel can be dispatched to render aid. In a small rural community like Chinook or Harlem, those emergency personnel are often volunteers, neighbors helping neighbors. Yet, departments across the country are finding it more and more difficult to recruit and retain volunteer firefighters and Emergency Medical Service (EMS) providers. The Chinook Volunteer Fire Department (CVFD) is one of those organizations in need of new recruits.

"People assume we'll always be here," CVFD Assistant Fire Chief Preston Gilmore recently said. "But we're feeling the pain of declining membership."

In 2013, CVFD had 21 people on its roster. Now it has 16. According to Fire Chief Kraig Hansen, 28 members constitutes a full roster. "We're way down in numbers," Hansen reported. "And that's a dilemma that we're trying to address since half of the volunteers on our roster can retire in two years. Four are retirement ready now."

A volunteer is eligible for retirement after twenty years of service. For those firefighters who select membership in the Relief Association through the city, after twenty years of active service, those members with the qualifications can apply for retirement and receive a small check each month.

Many communities depend on volunteers to deliver their emergency services, and volunteers still make up the bulk of the nation's firefighters. According to the National Fire Protection Association, there were approximately 1,056,200 firefighters in the United States in 2017. An estimated 373,600 (35%) of these were career firefighters and 682,600 (65%) were volunteer firefighters. Most of the career firefighters (72%) worked in communities that protected 25,000 or more people while the majority of volunteer firefighters (95%) performed in departments that protected fewer residents.

Although these numbers reflect a decrease of 6% from the previous year, volunteer firefighters continue to be the backbone of the nation's fire service. In Chinook, the fire department typically responds to 75-90 calls a year. These include calls to report to a car accident, to a grass fire, or to some other emergency. "We don't rescue cats from trees," Hansen laughed, "but we do respond to more than just fires. We've rescued cars from the river or the ditch. We're also called to assist with search and rescue situations and in hazardous materials circumstances," he said.

"Our crews are trained in extrication, so we carry all of the tools necessary to get victims out of vehicles. During a car wreck, we also help manage traffic and assist the ambulance response team with any victims," Hansen explained.

"Since firefighting is dangerous, the CVFD policy states that an ambulance will also be dispatched to a structure fire. If there are no other victims as a result of the fire, the ambulance crew will monitor the firefighter's heart rate and blood pressure, as well as offer oxygen if needed," Hansen said.

After joining the volunteer fire service in 1978, Hansen worked his way up through the ranks and became Fire Chief in Harlem for ten years. He has served as the CVFD's Chief for seventeen years. "We're especially in demand around the Fourth of July," Hansen stated. "I just don't take a vacation during that time since being gone would create problems with a crew shortage."

When asked about the shortage of volunteers, Gilmore and Hansen speculated that resistance may be the result of busy schedules and a perception that there is a big time commitment. With both parents in a household working to make ends meet and school events taking up nearly every evening, people have less time for a volunteer commitment, especially during the work day.

To that speculation, the CVFD's newest recruit, Aaron Morrow responded, "Service is not that time-intensive, and we're all busy. I believe there's kind of an 'us versus them' mentality where people think, 'I don't rate to be a fire fighter' or they have the perception that we don't need a new guy, when really we do."

Morrow went on to describe the benefits of volunteering. "It's really gratifying. After spending time at the fire hall with the other volunteers, I feel recharged. Being a firefighter gives me a sense of purpose, and after a call, I know I've made a difference for someone else. I was also able to scratch driving a fire truck off my bucket list," he added.

Both Gilmore and Hansen teased, "We didn't let him drive the truck for six months, and when we did, we were worried."

"The truck survived with all its paint, and there were no insurance claims, so hashtag winning," Morrow replied.

Beneath the teasing, there was a sense of camaraderie in the room, a brotherhood in the banter. All three men described middle of the night emergencies, the excitement and the adrenaline that firefighting produces. "It's one of the coolest things I've ever done," Morrow said.

He also talked about his first fire call. "I never felt exposed or underprepared," Morrow said. "I always felt supported."

Besides this sense of camaraderie and support, being a firefighter brings respect. "When you wear the uniform or a branded t-shirt while you're in another community, people recognize your service," Gilmore said.

"When I travel, I will often stop at the local fire station in whatever town I'm in and introduce myself," Hansen said. "Just talking to other firefighters is the best training. We have this network of like-minded people who give and have gained respect."

According to CVFD's chief, volunteers are required to commit to a minimum of thirty hours of training per year, attend six of the twelve monthly meetings, and respond to ten per cent of the fire calls or runs. A roster board posted in the station house tracks this participation. Furthermore, in order to serve as a firefighter, a person must be a legal Montana resident, be eighteen years of age or older, and submit to a physical, fingerprinting, and a background check. The CVFD covers the costs of those last three requirements.

Regarding training, the department has a training budget that provides funds for training exercises. For example, five members of the CVFD attended the Montana State Volunteer Firefighters Association's 2019 Volunteer's Convention held this past June 13-15 in Corvallis, Montana. The training included an Incident Command System (ICS) Refresher on Reading Smoke, as well as workshops on Extrication – Rope Rescue, Gas Props – EMS Sims Track, and Mass Casualty Training. On Friday, firefighters attended the Corvallis Fire Department Convention Dinner on 100 Fairgrounds Road in Hamilton, Montana, where Dr. Alana Brunacini delivered the keynote address. Dr. Brunacini has a clinical background in substance use treatment, corrections, psychiatric EMS, and community crisis response. In addition to working with fire departments, she operates a private practice for professional consulting and clinical therapy services in Phoenix, Arizona, specializing in fire and EMS populations and their families.

Beyond those outlined perks, the opportunity to be seen as a hero and the meager $20.00 stipend per fire call, volunteering really does mean service work. Individuals interested in volunteering are encouraged to contact any firefighter, who will set up a meeting to explain how to become a member.

"With a chief, two assistant chiefs, three captains, and seniority in fire fighters, we run the department like a paramilitary organization," Hansen said.

"When we're out on a call, we need our volunteers to respond immediately and without question to commands; otherwise, people get hurt."

Hansen went on to explain that on the fire ground, the team uses the ICS, which guides the management of emergency operations. Ideally, the captain will be in the first truck out, but as the scene grows more complex, the chief will eventually take command. This hierarchy furnishes a chain of command that lends structure when working under the pressure of lifesaving measures.

The CVFD response area covers 2,040 square miles, from the Canadian line to the Missouri River and from Zurich to the Hill/Blaine county line. In order to cover such a large area, the department has county trucks manned by farmers and ranchers who help with both the north and south ends of the county.

Because the CVFD belongs to Montana Mutual Aid (MMA), firefighters will also leave this area to respond to neighboring counties, if requested. "We have responded to Harlem, Hogeland, Fort Belknap, Malta, and Havre in the past," Hansen reported. Through MMA, the CVFD can travel from Wolf Point to Shelby and beyond.

"Firefighters take great pride in what they do and in the equipment they use," Hansen said. "If anyone has questions or concerns about what the CVFD is doing, stop by the station any time for a visit. We welcome questions from the public," Hansen explained.

The station is located on Chinook's south end at 1201 Illinois Street where the department houses eleven vehicles: a 1986 Kenworth Water Tender purchased with a Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) matching grant, a DNRC 2008 Freightliner tactical tender, a 2012 Polaris Ranger, a 1984 Hahn Pumper, a 1997 Freightliner Rural Structure and Rescue Truck, a 2002 Command vehicle, two smaller DNRC Trucks, a 1996 GMC Brush Truck, a 1968 International Pumper, and a parade vehicle. A sign in front of the station alerts passersby to this important location.

Wishing for a sign that would set the station apart from other fire stations, the CVFD found a metal sign builder in Hobson, Montana. After meeting with the proprietor and fabricator of Woods Metals, Hansen was impressed by the fabricator's ability to create art by hand and without computers. CVFD personnel shared pictures of the new water tender as well as icons of the area: Bears Paw Mountains, water tower, smoke stack, wheat fields, and cattle grazing. Incorporating these into the CVFD sign, Woods created a unique piece of artwork at a fraction of the cost for which other companies had bid the job.

"We hope the community is as proud of the Chinook Fire Station as we are," Hansen said. "It's a beautiful facility, and we appreciate all of the area residents and businesses that had a hand in creating it."

To explain the presence of Department of Natural Resources and Conservation (DNRC) vehicles in the fire station, Hansen outlined Blaine County's agreement-the County Cooperative Agreement-with the DNRC. The DNRC supplies grant money for equipment, trucks, and wildland fire training for all county fire departments. In a recent training, firefighters experienced a live burn and developed more knowledge for the future.

Hansen went on to define the CVFD as a dual facility, one that serves both the city of Chinook and Blaine County. "We are two separate departments that operate as one. Although the rules differ at the county and the city level, we keep all that straight in our agreements. Of the trucks in the station, seven belong to the county and two are owned by the city. We also have Mutual Aid agreements with Harlem and Havre, which means that if we're called, we will report, an agreement that is reciprocal, as well," Hansen said.

Furthermore, as a result of the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, Congress passed the Homeland Security Act. President George Walker Bush signed that bill into law on November 25, 2002. Through the newly established Department of Homeland Security, the federal government provided grants to fire departments. CVFD has received five grants totaling $232,500.00. The first grant received went towards the purchase of a water tender truck costing $92,500. The remaining four grants have been used for equipment purchases. These grant funds required a five per cent match. Five FEMA grants were used to purchase 25 sets of Structural Personal Protective Equipment, 25 sets of Wildland Personnel Protective Equipment, and nine self-contained pieces of breathing apparatus.

"All of this equipment is of little use, however, without a crew to operate it," Hansen said. "We need the help of many hands, both men and women willing to volunteer."

The CVFD currently has three active female firefighters: Kylie Minnis, Debbie Cross, and Karla Zarn.

"We have to overcome the time excuse. We all have busy lives. The dedication of volunteerism is not a drudgery but an escape," Morrow said.

This billboard can be found on interstates across Montana. Featuring Chinook volunteer firefighter Ian Davies, the billboard reads: "You were born to do something great." The CVFD is seeking additional volunteers, neighbors helping neighbors, and invites residents to join their ranks to make a heroic community contribution.

"While the CVFD has endured the peaks and valleys in its membership, we're kind of in crisis now. We need some members of the younger crowd to step up. They have the stamina to get things done, and the older ones with bad knees and bad backs will mentor alongside them, providing a transfer of knowledge so that we can avoid any mistakes that may hurt or kill firefighters," Hansen stated.

As the citizens of Blaine County relax this Fourth of July and take a minute to thank the brave men and women who protect our freedom, Gilmore hopes that they will also think of other neighbors helping neighbors, those who volunteer and those who serve. "Your community needs you," Gilmore concluded.

CVFD Assistant Fire Chief Preston Gilmore sits in front of some of the gear worn by firefighters.

During a recent tour of the fire station, CVFD Fire Chief Kraig Hansen reported that the gear to outfit a firefighter comes at a cost of approximately $2,400 per volunteer.

Wishing for a sign that would set the Chinook fire station apart from other fire stations, the CVFD found a metal sign builder in Hobson, Montana. The proprietor and fabricator of Woods Metals created-by hand and without computers-a unique piece of artwork at a fraction of the cost for which other companies had bid the job.

 
 

Powered by ROAR Online Publication Software from Lions Light Corporation
© Copyright 2024

Rendered 02/26/2024 11:57