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New firefighting world needs county solutions

Alot has been said in recent months about how the building boom in Citrus County is straining government services, from roads and schools to parks and police. Last week, the County Commission heard details of yet another dangerous growth-related trend: The number of volunteer firefighters is not keeping pace with the demand.

Even with the addition of the paid firefighters who started coming on duty in 2005, fire officials say they are shorthanded. They painted a stark picture for commissioners, including the possibility of closing some fire stations because of the lack of manpower.

Fire officials are redrawing their district lines and presumably they will realign the available resources to cover the county as best they can. But any time those charged with providing an essential service such as fire protection are contemplating such a drastic step as closing fire stations, the public must take notice.

The problem is a lack of volunteers, an ongoing shortage that was behind the county's decision to begin hiring firefighters several years ago. The paid firefighters were never intended to displace the volunteer forces entirely but to ensure that someone would be available to answer the alarms.

The number of volunteers has been dropping for several reasons, most of them practical. Many of the men and women who traditionally have filled the ranks of volunteer firefighters, in some cases following several generations of family members into the ranks, can no longer afford to take time away from their jobs to respond to fire alarms.

Even if the county somehow succeeds in attracting more volunteers, there is the additional problem of the extensive training that is now required, much of it at the volunteers' expense.

Firefighters today face greater dangers than ever before from toxic chemicals and hazardous materials in homes and businesses; they must learn new techniques and how to use the advanced equipment now available; plus they deal with the increased emphasis on natural disasters, possible terrorist threats and other homeland security matters.

This is not your grandfather's fire service anymore.

There is little the County Commission can do about the need for younger volunteers to place their jobs and family responsibilities above their interests in serving as firefighters. The board could, and should, express formal thanks to those business owners who grant their employees special leave to fight fires and to protect the public. A little public recognition goes a long way.

The county should also cover the training costs for the volunteers. Improving the quality of first responders is one of the most worthwhile uses of public dollars imaginable. Why would the county want to make it harder for people to perform such a vital community service?

While they look for ways to recruit more volunteers, the county must continue to add paid firefighters to meet the demands for fire protection that will only increase as the county's population grows.

More people moving into the county means more structures to protect and busier highways with more traffic accidents to which firefighters are called to respond. Then there is the prospect of a new nuclear power plant, maybe two, being built just across our northern border. The need for trained firefighters is great and will only increase.

For commissioners and the public, the grim picture being painted by fire officials should be cause for alarm.

[Last modified January 16, 2007, 06:30:12]