Collaborative efforts in Penn Hills help prevent burnout in volunteer fire departments

As one of nature’s elements, fire will never burn out. But the ones who volunteer to fight it might.

It’s a problem that in recent decades has only grown. In Penn Hills, the number of volunteer firefighters has dwindled for years. The municipality closed one of its seven fire stations because of the problem in 2016.

It has prompted officials to take a deep dive into its fire services to see where costs can be trimmed and revenue created. When published, the study – funded by the state’s Department of Community and Economic Development – will make recommendations on funding options such as a fire tax, equipment and manpower needs. Penn Hills Fire Marshal Chuck Miller said the municipality awaits the results of the study.

Penn Hills fire chiefs have floated the idea of a tax break for its 100 active firefighters. The idea, if implemented, would mean volunteer firefighters could qualify for a $950 local income tax credit.

Penn Hills allocates funds to its six stations for equipment and debt payments. The municipality included a slight salary increase for Miller and expects to increase its allocation by $31,500 in 2021 for maintenance and repairs on equipment.

“That’s a drop in the bucket when you look at the grand scheme of things,” Miller said, adding a new fire engine alone costs around $500,000 to $600,000.

Miller knows municipal finances are tight. He said that’s why he doesn’t speak too loudly about unpopular fire taxes. Instead, he and other fire chiefs have decided to invest in recruitment and fundraising efforts. The latest effort afforded municipal firefighters, current and prospective, a new training ground.

The municipality rented a crane in January 2019 to arrange seven freight containers on land located behind the new government center along Duff Road.

Six of the orange containers were stacked in a staggered fashion to simulate different fire scenarios. The seventh will be used to store equipment. Plans are in the making to continue to add on.

And there are programs – such as live-in programs for college students – that volunteer fire departments elsewhere have tried in order to recruit new manpower.

Evan Orowetz of Penn Hills is one of those recruits. He was one of seven FireVEST scholarship recipients at the Community College of Allegheny County to graduate earlier this year.

He has already served 11 years as a volunteer firefighter. The service developed a passion in him for all things fire safety. When he decided to go to college, the FireVEST scholarship program was a no-brainer. If accepted, the recipients receive a full-ride to CCAC. They get to choose any degree. The only catch: pledge to serving a minimum of five years at a local volunteer fire department.

At the time of acceptance, Orowetz already served as a volunteer firefighter at Penn Hills VFD 225. He continues to serve there.

Orowetz chose to pursue an associate’s degree in fire science. He then transferred his credits to the University of Cincinnati to earn a degree in fire and safety engineering technology. The program is online.

In addition to going to school online, Orowetz works at Carnegie Mellon University as the school’s Fire Safety Specialist and fights fires for the station.

How does he juggle it all?

“It’s something I’m passionate about,” he said. “Once you’re bit by the bug, it stays with you forever. It is a service and brotherhood unlike (any) other. And it’s something that you’re heart is in or not.”

Over the years, fewer and fewer men and women have been bit by the firefighting bug.

The number of volunteer firefighters in Pennsylvania has been on the decline for years for several reasons, including greater time demands, an ging population and societal shifts.

There were about 300,000 volunteer firefighters statewide in the 1970s. Today, there are about 38,000, according to a report released in November 2018 by the state House of Representatives.

The reality of dwindling volunteers and increasing costs is one of the reasons CCAC created the FireVEST scholarship program. Since 2009, the college touts recruiting 422 firefighters to 79% of Allegheny County volunteer fire departments.

The recruitment and retention program is a partnership between the college, County Executive Rich Fitzgerald and the Allegheny County Fire Academy “whose purpose is to help keep Allegheny County’s volunteer fire companies staffed, well-trained and ready to respond,” said a recent CCAC news release about the program.

Retaining and recruiting is a battle all volunteer fire departments fight daily – along with the fires. It’s a battle the coronavirus pandemic hasn’t helped. Miller said he thinks the uncertainty surrounding finances in people’s lives has meant a significant decrease in donations this year.

“I think there’s going to be a ripple effect for a couple years,” Miller said. “It’s not like when restrictions are lifted, suddenly people are going to have extra money to donate. People have bills to catch up on.”

So for now, firefighters in Penn Hills, who respond to around 3,500 calls a year – or about 10 a day – will keep fighting the fight.

“It’s a tough business to be in,” Miller said.