Roger Carr has spent his entire adult life as a firefighter.
"I did 28 years on the Waterloo Fire Department. But I volunteered in every town I lived in, even though I was working as a paid firefighter,” he said.
Carr currently serves as volunteer fire chief in Holland, a small community outside of Waterloo. As president of the Iowa Firefighter’s Association, he sees a critical shortage not only in his small town, but also more widely.
The Iowa Department of Public Safety reports Iowa has about 850 fire departments, with 92% manned by volunteers. Carr said each year, however, the state loses about 1,000 through retirement, illness or relocation. He estimates there are about 14,500 volunteer firefighters across the state.
“If we don’t get people coming in, our fire departments will fold up."Roger Carr, Iowa Firefighter Association President
“If we don’t get people coming in, our fire departments will fold up and the next town over will have to cover us,” he said.
Carr said a quick emergency response is critical because fires double in size every 30 seconds.
“So, if your fire department’s 15 minutes away, plus they have 15 minutes to respond to the state and drive to the fire, a simple grease fire on the stove ends up with a house fully engulfed,” he said. “The citizens of Iowa deserve adequate and proper fire protection. And it's getting to the point where it's not happening in these small towns. Even cities with a population of 6,000 can't afford a full-time fire department.”
Fire Chief Josh Billings has served his hometown of Hancock in Pottawattamie County (pop. 200) for the past 16 years and saID that since he joined, there’s always been a shortage of personnel.
“I have lived in this community since I was a kid. My family moved here in 1984. I remember growing up, my dad wanted to join, but there was a waiting list,” Billings said. “The roster was full, and they weren’t taking on any new members. There is no waiting list now, and I would say it's been that way since the late '90s.”
Billings also works as an EMT for two nearby communities. One offers a little bit of money per call to try and attract more volunteers who undergo intense training, take classes and keep certifications up to date, but Billings said he doesn't believe it's helped much.
Billings said there’s been talk that if things don’t improve, his county might have to start funding paid fire departments in some rural spots, but finding that funding could be difficult.
“It would be nice if the state could come up with something to entice more people to volunteer. What that is, I don’t know. A little tax credit each volunteer gets back is nice, but it’s not enough to get new members,” he said. “I hope every community can keep their fire departments, but it takes volunteers to run them. No volunteers, no department.”
Billings and Carr said people who volunteer do it to help and better the community rather than for a paycheck. Other firefighters agreed, including Scott Mitchell, who urged lawmakers in northwest Iowa to do more to help.
Mitchell is the fire chief and mayor of Hornick, a community of 255 people. He also works as a full-time emergency services director in Woodbury County.
"The volunteers aren't there anymore."Scott Mitchell, Hornick Fire Chief
“The volunteers aren't there anymore, and I don't know if it's not the community dedication is like it used to be, but it's becoming a very, very large issue,” Mitchell said.
Mitchell commented during a recent legislative forum in Sioux City, where county supervisors and city clerks challenged lawmakers to find creative ways to attract recruits. He shared how many small towns and cities especially struggle during the day since many volunteers can’t get away during the day or work in communities quite a distance away.
“You got to put in the training," he said. "There's no incentive whatsoever for younger people to do it, and why would they want to give up their time if there's nothing they're gonna gain?”
Last year, lawmakers passed a bill that allows volunteer firefighters to purchase one set of tires a year for the vehicle they use to respond to the fire state at the state bid level.
“Which, in my case, saved me $800 on a set of fire. For ten years now, we’ve been trying to get our length of service award program set up. It’s a very small retirement system,” Carr said.
He also wants the state to pay for membership into the National Fire Council to provide benefits like a $10,000 accidental death and dismemberment policy, a wellness program and a helpline for behavior and work-life stresses.
Carr says the Iowa Firefighters Association has been pushing for legislative changes for the past decade but is hopeful this year now that it's gained more support from senators and representatives.
“I've been in the fire service 52 years, so the retirement plan isn’t going to do me any good because I'm only going to be maybe two or three more years in the service,” Carr said. “But for young ones coming in, you know, if they put in 20 years, it'll be a nice chunk of change there. You won't be able to go to the Bahamas on it, but it'll help, you know?”
