Content provided by Pence Media Group
When Hoosiers call 911 in an emergency, they expect a first responder to show up at their door. But what many people do not realize is that in the state of Indiana, 80% of our fire departments are staffed by volunteers. These are community helpers who are unpaid, and show up to help their neighbors when they need it most. In today’s busy world full of demands from jobs, family, caregiving and extracurriculars, the volunteer pool in many rural communities is shrinking, which poses a great concern to public safety in all corners of the state.
“We have technology right at our fingertips, so we’re constantly on the go,” says Megan Thiele, FEMA SAFER grant coordinator for the Indiana Fire Chiefs Association (IFCA). “That changes our lives and the structure of our daily lives, and may take away from the opportunity to volunteer in our community.”
The IFCA joined with the International Association of Fire Chiefs (IAFC) to tackle this issue head-on through a new FEMA SAFER grant for the state of Indiana.
This fall, the IFCA and IAFC launched a new GIS toolkit to support volunteer firefighter recruitment and retention efforts in the Hoosier state. The toolkit collects information from current firefighters and stores it in an accessible database so that chiefs and personnel can utilize the data in their communities to create successful recruitment strategies.
“It’s important to have this toolkit so that we can see in real time who is volunteering, what we can do to volunteer, what strategies have worked or maybe not worked, and learn some lessons along the way,” says Thiele.
There are more than 800 volunteer and rescue departments across Indiana, and while many volunteer firefighters are trained to fight fires, other volunteers can include people interested in driving or repairing trucks, people who could provide child care for other volunteer firefighters, grant writers, marketing professionals, fundraisers and community liaisons. Each member of the volunteer department can play a critical role in community safety no matter how they are able to serve.
“I think our community doesn’t realize what our volunteer fire departments do until they call 911 and they expect somebody to show up,” says Thiele. “And are they going to show up? Do we have enough people to show up and help you? That’s truly what this initiative is about.”
The launch of the GIS toolkit marks a significant milestone in the ongoing effort to strengthen the volunteer firefighting community in the state. Earlier this year Governor Eric Holcomb announced the state would invest $10 million to purchase protective equipment for certain volunteer departments around the state, marking the first time the Indiana General Assembly allocated funds specifically for firefighter training and equipment.
If you or someone you know is interested in lending a hand to your local community, you can find more information at volunteerfirein.org.
