Volunteer Fire Departments Struggling To Recruit New Members
MONTGOMERY COUNTY, Pa. (CBS) -- Around Pennsylvania when an emergency happens and someone's life or home is on the line, there are about 50,000 volunteer firefighters who are typically the first to respond.
At one point though there were 300,000 statewide.
"When I was 18, we were able to staff three or four firetrucks with six and eight, or 10 guys sometimes, and now you are lucky if you get four," said Gordon Pippin with the Aston Township Volunteer Fire Department.
Despite a year-round effort, the Aston Township Volunteer Fire Department is only able to recruit one or two new members each year.
"It's extremely tough when you have to go to responses," added Pippin.
The struggle to recruit in Delaware County is a similar struggle felt at all the nearly 2,500 volunteer fire departments in the Pennsylvania.
Some volunteer fire companies are now getting a little bit of help recruiting and retaining their emergency responders. At the end of last year, the governor signed an act that now allows municipalities to give tax breaks to volunteer firefighters.
"We here in Whitpain Township, are the first in Montgomery County to have the legislation and ordinance that does provide the max benefits to give the maximum incentive to our volunteers. Really tell them, 'hey we want you here,'" said Melissa Murphy Weber a supervisor with Whitman Township.
Whitpain Township plans to pass the emergency responder tax break Tuesday night.
To help volunteer firefighter recruitment it's Centre Square Fire Department.
"I applaud our township supervisors, for being so proactive and an enacting it so quick. It's not an active yet, but I'm confident it will be passed this evening," said Centre Square Fire Department Chief Lee Miller.
The fire chief in Whitpain hopes the ordinance is adopted around the state, incentivizing and recruiting a new generation of volunteer firefighters.
