On August 16, Ohio Governor Mike DeWine joined Ohio Department of Commerce Director Sherry Maxfield and State Fire Marshal Kevin Reardon to kick off a statewide campaign to raise awareness for Ohio’s need for volunteer firefighters.
“Many Ohio communities rely on volunteer firefighters to keep them and their families safe every day,” the governor said. “As volunteer numbers decrease, Ohioans are increasingly at risk, which is why it so important to spread awareness for Ohio’s need. We hope to encourage everyday Ohioans to become extraordinary heroes by serving their communities as volunteer firefighters.”
“Volunteer firefighters are the backbone of the fire service,” said Springfield Township Fire Chief Jonathon Ziehr. “Realizing that the fire service across the nation is 65 percent volunteer, career departments are a minority.”
He noted that Springfield Township fire and rescue relied upon volunteers until 2005.
“As the township grew and calls for service increased, the need for a fulltime department became evident,” he explained. “With our communities support, we were able to make the transition from volunteer to full time.”
He added that many of the career firefighters on staff started as volunteers.
Although the township has a paid force, according to the governor, 70 percent of fire departments in Ohio are volunteer.
While the number of emergency calls has increased statewide, the number of volunteer firefighters is on the decline.
From 2018 to 2021, there was a 6.5 percent decrease in the number of volunteer firefighters; conversely between 2018 and 2020, there was a 9 percent increase in calls.
Individuals can visit MakeMeAFirefighter.org and search for volunteer firefighter opportunities in, or near their communities. Users can then click on a specific position, read details about the role, and express their interest. Currently, there are nearly 400 open positions across Ohio listed on the website.
