For many years I read of how fire departments were suffering from a lack of volunteers , I even discussed it with several people. I thought how fortunate we are that we still have volunteers . At times we even had them standing in line , more than we could use. Now the fact that we have abused our volunteers has finally come home to affect us . I took one of the first medical first responder courses taught in Arkansas,I had taken EMT years earlier and let some one intimidate me into not testing ( I have never forgiven that person or myself for that). I got up at all hours of the night to answer the pager and go to where some one needed ,or thought they needed help . I volunteered and worked and studied hard as a volunteer firefighter,in fact I let my family suffer because of my desire to help and know all and do all that I could to help. I volunteered with Emergency Management and gave my all . I worked hard at search and rescue and traveled all over at my own expense to take courses and get training . I volunteered to work at events where SAR events were likely to happen. I asked for no pay , I just wanted to help .
Some where along the way I began to understand that volunteers were regarded as a nuisance by many elected officials and many government employees. While they payed verbal homage to them they laughed at them behind their backs . I do not know how many times I have heard "they are just a volunteer" followed by a snicker. The volunteers were expected to raise the funds to buy the fire trucks for the community , raise the funds to get the training , raise the funds to pay the electric bill , raise the funds for every thing they were to cost the community nothing because they were just volunteers.
These volunteers watched and hurt as there request and concerns were ignored . There were plenty of people who wished to regulate them but none who wished to help them.
Now it is a new day there are very few volunteers left . I recently went on a call where my partner and I were unable to move a patient because of their weight . After numerous pages one local Fire firefighter responded . There is a shortage of volunteers now and our communities are hurting but we have no one to blame but ourselves , all the volunteers wanted was a little respect and we didn't give it.
It is a new day or at least different if you need the service expect to pay for it.
