Volunteer fire protection districts (FPDs) have a long history in the United States and to this day, remain one of the most common models for fire protection in the nation. The FPDs perform a crucial role in rural communities through the provision of fire, emergency medical, and hazardous materials services. Since these districts are most commonly staffed with volunteers, services are provided at a significant cost savings to rural communities. However, across the nation volunteer FPDs are struggling to maintain services in the face of volunteer and financial shortages. In Yolo County, the unincorporated communities are served by fifteen rural FPDs. These districts are facing the same challenges experienced as FPDs throughout the nation and state of California; which is ultimately threatening their long-term sustainability.
In an effort to aid in future discussions regarding the Yolo County FPDs, County staff developed a report (see Attachment A: Yolo County Fire Protection Districts Report) evaluating the challenges facing the Yolo County FPDs and exploring the strategic approaches of other county FPDs in California.
Challenges
FPDs across the nation are facing two significant challenges: the recruitment and retention of volunteers as well as obtaining sufficient funding to maintain operations.
Recruitment and Retention of Volunteers
A large base of reliable trained volunteers is the backbone of the volunteer FPDs. According to the National Fire Protection Association, volunteers comprised 65% of all firefighters in the United States in 2017. Despite the strong reliance on volunteer firefighters, FPDs have struggled with a steadily decreasing volunteer base. The volunteer numbers have fluctuated since the 1980s and have recently hit their lowest in the past thirty years. This problem has been further exacerbated by a triple increase in calls for service.
The reduction in volunteer firefighters is believed to be the result of several causes: increased training requirements, increased time demands, and changes in sociological conditions. Training requirements have increased significantly over the years, particularly as the role of firefighters has expanded into handling emergency medical and hazardous materials. Consequently, this creates an increased time commitment for volunteer firefighters, to take and retain the necessary trainings, that has been further exacerbated by increases in calls for service. Changes in society have also placed a burden on the recruitment and retention of volunteer firefighters. Individuals are working more, with families often relying on two-incomes or multiple jobs, and individuals traveling farther distances for work. This creates less available time to dedicate to volunteer fire service.
Effect
The overall effect of a decline in the recruitment and retention of volunteers, is less staff at FPDs to respond to calls for service. This places a greater burden on paid and volunteer staff to conduct that work. Which can result in burn out for volunteers and further retention issues. Depending on the severity, it can also lead to a reduction in firefighters responding to a call.
The Yolo County FPDs are experiencing the same decrease in volunteers and increase in service calls seen across the nation and state. Between 2008 and 2018 volunteers dropped by 29%. In addition to the decline in volunteers, service calls have increased by 27% for the region. This places a strain on the local FPDs and current volunteers to maintain operations.
Sufficient Funding for Operations
Another challenge facing FPDs is obtaining sufficient funding to maintain operations. The largest expense for most FPDs is the cost to obtain, maintain and replace apparatus and equipment; of which the cost has increased considerably. Over the years the prices have risen due to evolving technology and safety standards. In the 1980s a fire pumper truck cost around $100,000, but is almost five times that amount today. While there is no established best practice for apparatus service life, the National Fire Protection Association recommends safety consideration as the primary factor; advising careful consideration be given for use of fire apparatus in first-line service when it is over 15 years old. The Yolo County 2016 Yolo County Local Agency Formation Commission (LAFCo) Municipal Services Review (MSR) recommended the maximum service life for apparatus at around 20-25 years. As a result, districts must plan and save years in advance in order to have sufficient funds to maintain apparatus and equipment within their service life.
Additionally, as the number of volunteers decline, some FPDs have turned to hiring paid personnel, also known as career firefighters. The number of career firefighters in the United States has increased steadily from 237,750 in 1986 to 373,600 in 2017, a 57% increase. For all volunteer FPDs, hiring career firefighters can help ensure a more stable roster but can also create an additional financial burden.
Effect
Funding struggles can result in long term sustainability issues. In California multiple FPDs have closed or consolidated with other districts due to financial instability. For example, the board of the volunteer Julian-Cuyamaca FPD in San Diego voted in February 2018 to dissolve due to financial and staffing shortfalls.
In Yolo County a number of FPDs were identified in the 2016 Yolo County LAFCo MSR as having long term financial sustainability issues. This was most evident in the prevalence of apparatus/vehicles past their recommended service life of 25 years. When examined all together, as of 2016, 53% of the 70 fire apparatus/vehicles in the Yolo County FPDs were over 15 years of age, 37% were over 20 years of age, and 29% were over 25 years of age. The local FPDs are thus faced with the high cost of replacing these items.
Strategies
As listed in Table 1, a number of strategies have been undertaken by FPDs in the nation and within counties in California to address these challenges. The use of these strategies varies based on circumstances; however, many counties have utilized a combination of strategies in the effort to achieve long-term sustainability for FPDs.
Table 1: Challenges and Related Strategies
| Challenge |
Strategies |
| Recruitment and Retention of Volunteers |
- Improved recruitment efforts
- Provision of incentives
- Hiring career firefighters
- Reducing the training burden
- Operational changes:
- Consolidation or Countywide FPD
- Coordinating Agency
- Contracted Services
|
| Sufficient Funding for Operations |
- Maximize grant funding opportunities
- Increase tax or fee revenue
- Redirection of Proposition 172 funds
- Operational changes:
- Consolidation or Countywide FPD
- Coordinating Agency
- Contracted Services
|
Recommendation
The Yolo County FPDs are facing the same challenges as FPDs across the nation and throughout the state of California. These challenges create the greatest struggle for the traditional model of independent/dependent FPDs, where volunteers serve as the foundation. While changing recruitment practices or obtaining alternative sources of funds can assist, these challenges are likely to continue long term. As a result, many counties in California have or are in the process of exploring operational changes as alternatives to the traditional FPD model.
It is the request and recommendation of the Yolo County Fire Chiefs Association that additional funding be provided by the County to the fire districts. Specifically, the fire chiefs request that the Board of Supervisors consider a redirection of Proposition 172 funds so that a portion is provided to the fire districts.
Based on the request of the fire chiefs and the strategies implored by other California counties, it is the recommendation of staff that the County enter into a collaborative process with the fire chiefs to explore funding and operational options for long term sustainability. Through this process the County would not only discuss potential new funding opportunities but also evaluate regionally where operational alterations, such as those seen in other counties, may be of benefit. Staff would then return to the Board with final recommendations. |