Volunteering to Put Yourself in Harm's Way

Back when Enterprise Fire Co. Chief Keith Gordon joined the fire department 37 years ago, firefighters had to "fight" to get on a truck.

"If you could hang on somewhere, you got on," Gordon recalled. 

Not so much anymore. Now, if 15 or 20 people respond to a fire, that's a good day, Gordon said. 

"Everybody has less volunteers," he said. "We've been in pretty good shape the last couple of years. But, you never have enough."

The fire company has 30 active members and 75 regular members on its roster, according to Gordon. But, since some of the newer volunteers are younger–in some cases junior firefighters–the chief said he worries about holes in the lineup if they go away to college.

To date, Enterprise has not really needed to do a volunteer drive, or outreach efforts to attract new members, Gordon said. 

"They just show up," he said. 

According to the National Fire Protection Association, firefighters continue to show up in the U.S., though numbers are growing for "career," or paid firefighters, as compared to shrinking numbers of volunteers. According to NFPA statistics, since 1983, the number of paid firefighters has increased by more than 50 percent–from 226,600 in 1983 to 344,050 in 2011. Volunteers, according to the NFPA data, have shrunk from 884,600 in 1983 to 756,400 in 2011. 

Hatboro's fire company does not have paid personnel in place and relies solely on volunteers. Horsham Fire Company, by contrast, employs six full-time and approximately 20 part-time emergency responders who work alongside 30 active volunteers, according to Fire Chief Tim Flanagan. 

But, unlike Hatboro, Horsham's fire department provides both fire and EMS services, which, Flanagan said, warrants the need for paid staff. 

"We hire cross-trained people – Medic/Firefighters or EMT/Firefighters," Flanagan said. "We are fortunate to have this flexibility as it permits us to handle whatever emergency comes into the firehouse. This is a huge driver why we have career personnel in Horsham. Additionally, our call volume is higher than many of the surrounding communities and this is indeed a draw on volunteer time."

Flanagan said Horsham hired its first career firefighter 30 years ago.

"Like everything else in our world, this has evolved into where we are now," he said. "Not having a crystal ball, I suspect this dynamic will continue to change."

Meanwhile, in Hatboro, Gordon has introduced the world of firefighting to a new generation, and more specifically, to his 21-year-old son, Eric.

"I was shy," Eric Gordon said. "He thought it would be good for me."

Joining Enterprise has also been good for the younger Gordon, who has since risen to the rank of lieutenant and built some needed confidence along the way, according to his dad.

"I like helping people," Eric Gordon said as to why he stays involved.