Pa. Chiefs Ask for Fire Tax to Reduce Burden on Volunteers firehouse/news/11804533/fire-chief-look-to-fire-tax-to-help-pa-volunteer-firefighters Local chiefs see a fire tax as one way of countering some of the social pressures they say can lead to burnout among volunteer firefighters. The combination of an expanded mission, rising costs and fewer people willing to give their time has placed a greater burden on the remaining membership of many volunteer companies across the state. Fewer people mean more hours per individual and an increased likelihood of the person tiring out and leaving the company. If allowed to continue, this could further shrink the manpower base and cause the problem to spiral. These cycles are becoming more common, said Shawn Brickner, chief of the North Middleton Township Volunteer Fire Company. As a result, more municipalities are willing to levy a fire tax to help make up the difference and lessen the burden, he said. Ed Troxell is director of government affairs for the Pennsylvania State Association of Boroughs, which provides advocacy and education services in support of locally elected officials. The Pennsylvania State Association of Township Supervisors performs a similar function for applicable municpalities. The state municipal code gives boroughs and townships the authority to levy a fire tax of up to 3 mills to generate revenue to be set aside specifically for the purchase of fire apparatus and to fund station upgrades and other capital improvements, Troxell said. A fire tax is a known factor. ... Thats the benefit of it, Brickner said. Its a lot easier to judge what you are going to have to work with to plan for the future. A designated source of annual revenue can help reduce the need for fire companies to host fundraisers. This can free up time for volunteers to focus more energy on fire safety education and training opportunities so members are better prepared for an emergency response, said Jeff Snyder, Carlisle Borough fire chief. The tax is a tremendous asset. Fire service changes A 38-year veteran of the fire service, Snyder first received basic training as a firefighter back in 1975 when only 64 hours were needed to qualify for fire calls. Today, a volunteer seeking Firefighter One certification needs between 180 to 200 hours of formal training. This does not include the on-the-job training necessary to learn how each company responds to an emergency, said Snyder noting there are subtle procedural differences. Every organization has its own personality. The greater time commitment that goes with training is tied directly to an expansion of the mission demands placed on volunteer companies, Snyder said. When he began, training focused on the main mission of responding to fires and traffic accidents. Today, firefighters need to cope with a broader range of possible scenarios including bomb threats, terrorist attacks, hazardous material calls and even the likelihood of dealing with an active shooter. Greater mission demands drove the need for additional design features on fire apparatus increasing the size and cost of those vehicles, Snyder said. As a result, volunteer fire companies and the municipalities they serve have to set back more money to purchase apparatus to meet the demands. Diminishing returns At the same time, increases in food prices and other overhead have cut into the profit margin of traditional fundraising events tied to volunteer fire companies, Snyder said. To remain competitive with other events, many fire companies are reluctant to increase prices and admission fees. This only adds to the shortfall in revenue and the strain on budgets. As profits fall, the time commitment involved with organizing and staging an event has stayed the same but with the added expectation of diminishing returns. Depending on the event, volunteers could be tied up for days and even weeks as they juggle all their other time commitments associated with family and job. Having a fire tax creates a source of predictable income that can be set aside annually to support major purchases. For example, there are plans in both Carlisle and North Middleton to replace old fire engines in 2015 using fire tax revenue carried over from the past year. While a fire tax cannot eliminate the strain on volunteer fire companies, it can help to ease the pressure by giving firefighters the flexibility to analyze and focus on those fundraising activities yielding a higher return, Snyder said. The fire tax also frees up time for ambitious firefighters to pursue self-development training to become leaders within the organization. This can help with recruitment and retention. You got to have a love for this job, Snyder said of volunteer firefighters. Especially knowing the possibility exists of injury or death. Everybody has only so much to give, said Brickner, who added that the hope is the fire tax can reduce the burden on volunteers by cutting back on fundraising. Fire tax vs. donations A possible downside of a fire tax is the perception among property owners that they are already paying money into supporting the fire service so why support traditional fundraising events or the annual fund drive. In North Middleton Township, the local fire company is trying to educate the public that the tax does not support the fire company 100 percent, Brickner said. It is one piece of the pie. At the time of the interview, Brickner had no data on whether the township fire tax implemented in 2014 had a negative effect on last years fund drive. Were only in the first year, he said. When Mechanicsburg Borough enacted its fire tax in 2014, leaders from its two volunteer companies expected a decline in participation among residents donating money to the annual fund drive, fire chief Larry Seagrist said. It dipped slightly but not as severe as what we had anticipated. A steering committee is actively investigating the possibility of consolidating the Washington Fire Company and Citizens Fire & Rescue Company. A public relations subcommittee has been formed to prepare written material geared towards educating the public on how money from donations and tax revenue is being used. Seagrist said fire tax revenue from 2014 will go towards the purchase of a replacement engine for a 1995 apparatus. The plan is to retain the old pumper as a reserve engine and the hope is put out the bid specifications on the new engine sometime in January or February. Three years ago, Carlisle Borough merged three fire companies into two and reorganized the annual fund drives for both Union and Carlisle Fire & Rescue Services into one effort under the Carlisle Volunteer Firefighters Association, Snyder said. It appears the fire tax has not had a substantial effect on the letter campaign. Funds raised in 2014 were very close to what was raised in 2013. The campaign received about a half-dozen complaints from residents not wishing to donate because they already pay a fire tax -- a small amount considering the campaign involved close to 11,000 letters, Snyder said. Some grants available State and federal government offers a limited number of highly competitive grants to volunteer fire companies for major equipment purchases, station upgrades and other projects. Three years ago, Carlisle Borough received a $136,000 grant from the Federal Emergency Management Agency in support of programs to improve volunteer recruitment and retention. Snyder said that grant has been used to offset some of the training costs associated with Firefighter One certification and to offer volunteers who participate in outreach programs incentive cards from local businesses offering specials in goods and services. Recruitment efforts funded by the grant led to 20 individuals expressing an interest in the volunteer fire service, but only eight have signed on so far as members, Snyder said. He added while there has been a gain in membership, not every recruit is available to reinforce the members responding to emergencies. We have the same average per call, Snyder said. Grants available from other agencies, state and local, include the Volunteer Loan Assistance Program through the Pennsylvania Office of the State Fire Commissioner providing low-interest loans for purchase and updating of apparatus, facilities for volunteer companies and other emergency service operations. The state-funded Fire Company, Volunteer Ambulance Service Grant program provides funds for both volunteer and career fire companies. For volunteer units in heavily rural areas, cost-sharing funding also is available from Department of Agriculture Volunteer Fire Assistance Grants while federal excess property programs are an equipment source.
Posted on: Wed, 14 Jan 2015 18:17:46 +0000
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