The Wilkins Township Volunteer Fire Company #3 celebrates 100 years of service to the community this week. Friends and neighbors recently gathered to look at old photos and reminisce.
“It’s nice to see the people show up and be able to tell them about our story and answer their questions,” says Leonard Hill, who was a longtime member of Wilkins Twp. VFC #4 before that fire house closed and merged with the township’s two remaining of the original stations.
“To me it was deeply disappointing,” Hill says of the closure.
Closures have become all too common across Pennsylvania fire companies. This year, Aspinwall and Sharpsburg merged their fire service to reduce costs and respond to a dwindling roster of volunteers.
“It’s tough. It is. The volunteerism for fire departments is way, way down,” says Wilkins Township Fire Chief Chad Hoover. He adds that sometimes it’s a struggle to get enough firefighters to respond to calls.
“You have nights that guys will go out with one (firefighter) on a truck or two on a truck.”
That means neighboring companies are also more likely to get called, but they too are thin on manpower.
Across the county, it’s a similar story in West Deer Township, where we caught up with firefighters from West Deer Volunteer Fire Companies #3 and #2 participating in a regular drill. They were practicing a hillside rescue using ropes and pulleys.
West Deer is one of the largest townships in Allegheny County with plenty of land for new development.
“We are at 28.6 square miles and our population continues to increase year after year. We have several new housing plans that are in development. So, we currently have an expectation of probably 400 homes within the next two to three years,” explains Fire Chief Josh Weigand.
Chief Weigand says their roster isn’t growing at the same rate. Yet their services are expanding, from fighting fires to ladder rescues, and backing up the local EMS service. Given how the community is so spread out, a merger really isn’t feasible.
So, what can be done to attract new members in townships like West Deer and Wilkins? One idea under consideration in the state legislature would lower the age limit by a year, meaning junior members could start training at age 17.
“As a volunteer fire company, we are held to the child labor laws, which prevents a minor under the age of 18 from completing their firefighter training, specifically the interior firefighting portion. So, if this legislation were to pass, we could take high school students and they could complete their training before the turn 18. Then when they turn 18, they could hit the ground running and be a huge benefit to the volunteer fire departments,” says Weigand.
Another proposal would provide free or discounted tuition to all 4-year state colleges. In Allegheny County, there is already a scholarship program which allows volunteer firefighters to attend CCAC free of charge.
So, other states offer incentives such as free vehicle registration for volunteer firefighters or reduced property taxes. Here in Pennsylvania, where more than 90% of fire department rely on volunteers, that kind of perk is rare.
“There are some municipalities or boroughs that do it, but most do not,” explains Wilkins Fire Chief Chad Hoover.
If membership numbers don’t improve, the impact on homeowners could be costly, such as higher homeowners’ insurance premiums or slower response times. That’s why it pays for communities to see each new member as an investment.
After years of signs, flyers, and begging for help at festivals, Chief Hoover is ready to try a new approach to recruit young men and women – by challenging them to step up and step into his boots.
“Do you have what it takes? You think you got it? You think you can wear this helmet?” Hopefully that challenge is enough to entice recruits who will help keep the tradition going for the next 100 years.
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