COLUMBUS, Ohio — Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine appeared at the Central Ohio Fire Museum Thursday to announce the formation of the "Ohio Task Force on Volunteer Fire Service" to study and make recommendations to improve the volunteer fire service throughout the state of Ohio.
Joining Gov. DeWine in making the announcement was Ohio Department of Commerce Director Sherry Maxfield, State Fire Marshall Kevin Reardon and other local elected officials and firefighters.
The Division of State Fire Marshall revealed that there has been a 6.5% decrease in the number of fire service volunteers in Ohio since 2018, and in that time there has been a continual increase in the number of emergency calls. More than half of the registered fire departments in the state are staffed by volunteers.
“You never know when you may need emergency services, but you want to make sure that when you do need them, they are fast and efficient,” Gov. DeWine said while speaking at the event. “I asked Fire Marshal Reardon to assemble the Ohio Task Force on Volunteer Fire Service to examine these issues and the state of fire services throughout Ohio and to provide recommendations so we can ensure the continuation of reliable emergency coverage for our communities.”
Potential issues the Ohio Task Force on Volunteer Fire Service will examine include:
- Recruitment of volunteers
- Financial stability of volunteer fire departments
- Training issues
- Resource assessment, and
- Long-term stability of the volunteer fire department structure
“As a career firefighter, I know the fire service is rooted deep in tradition, but the challenges of today can only be addressed through forward-thinking, innovative solutions," said State Fire Marshal Kevin Reardon. "There is no single greatest issue of concern, for the volunteer firefighter service there are many – and together, they are creating challenges never before seen. This is not only an Ohio issue, this is a national problem, but Ohio can and will serve as an example.”
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Editor's Note: The video above is from an unrelated story published on March 17, 2022
