The National Volunteer Fire Council is a non-profit membership association representing the interests of the volunteer fire, EMS, and rescue services. Organized in 1976, the NVFC serves as the voice for the volunteer fire and emergency services. The NVFC is the emergency responder's representative in the national policy arena and on numerous national and international committees and organizations. Each state firefighter’s association elects a representative to the NVFC.

    We welcome you to browse our website at www.nvfc.org   to learn more about the volunteer fire and emergency services and information regarding membership, training, legislation and meetings.

    This Fact Sheet was produced in order to provide an overall picture of today’s volunteer fire and emergency services.

    Volunteer firefighters are summoned to a wide array of emergencies across the country every day including fires, emergency medical incidents, terrorist events, natural disasters, hazardous materials incidents, water rescue emergencies, high-angle and confined space emergencies, and other general public service calls. The public relies on the volunteer emergency services to be their first line of defense in these emergencies. Volunteers spend an enormous amount of time training to prepare for these emergencies.

        3 Economic impact of the volunteer fire service project .National Volunteer Fire Council Foundation, Washington, DC, May 2004

• Fire department call volumes continue to increase.

Most fire departments across the country have experienced a steady increase inc alls over the past decade.5 This is a major source of the increased time demands on Volunteer Firefighters. The increase in calls, coupled with the decline in the number of Volunteer Firefighters, means that fire departments have to do more with less. Most of the increase is attributed to a sharp increase in the number of emergency medical calls and false alarms. The number of fire calls has actually declined over the period.     5 U.S. Fire Department Profile Through 2003. National Fire Protection Association, Quincy, Massachusetts, October, 2003.

Small communities (those with populations under 10,000) across the United States are typically protected by all volunteer departments. In some cases, however, these communities have hired a few paid firefighters to assist. Mid-sized communities (those with populations above 10,000) are typically served by combination volunteer and paid departments. Large communities (those with populations over 100,000) are most often protected by combination volunteer and paid departments that consist of primarily paid staff. There are very few purely paid fire departments in the United States, but those that exist are primarily found in very urban areas.

        6 U.S. Fire Department Profile Through 2003. National Fire Protection Association, Quincy, Massachusetts, October, 2003.

    Each state adopts its own training requirements that apply to volunteer firefighters. Many states require that volunteers meet the National Fire Protection Association’s Standard 1001: Firefighter Professional Qualifications. This establishes a very rigorous course of classroom and practical evolutions for basic training. This same standard is commonly used to train paid firefighters.

    Likewise, volunteer emergency medical responders are trained to the national training criteria establish by the U.S. Department of Transportation and other standards setting bodies.

    There is no national average of the amount of time a volunteer firefighter gives to his or her community. Volunteering in the fire and EMS service, however, is one of the most demanding volunteer activities today. Time commitments include operational responses (often at a moment’s notice), training, fund raising, vehicle and station maintenance, and various administrative duties.

Below are average expenses associated with firefighting:

Equipment
Protective Clothing                                                 $ 2,000
Self-contained Breathing Apparatus                          4,500

Training
Firefighter I-II                                                             $500
Emergency Medical Technician - Basic                         300
Hazardous Materials Awareness                                   100
Emergency Vehicle Operator                                        100

                                                                               $ 7,400

The cost of firefighting equipment is listed below. Equipment can range in cost depending on features and specifications.

Fire pumper                                                $150,000 - $400,000

Ladder truck                                               $400,000 - $750,000

Ambulance                                                  $80,000 - $150,000

Advanced life support medical equipment     $10,000 - $30,000