At Lacey Fire District, the union has been drug through the mud frequently that we’re anti-volunteer and we’re chasing away volunteers. In truth, most of the career members at Lacey started as volunteers, and even some still are volunteers in other communities. In many departments, the existence of paid fire fighters has been a saving factor for volunteer programs because they gap fill for shortages or help to directly address the ever increasing technical workload and tasks. The largest factor impacting volunteer fire fighters has been the changing economies and lifestyles of those in our community.
In Lacey, it wasn’t even a decade ago where people worked shifts at the Olympia Brewery, worked at a much busier Weyerhaeser and George Pacific Mills, Hardel lumber and Cascade Pole, Kay Packaging, or even Lacey Plywood. It was shift work and people had the time and income to do such things as fire fighting even during the weekdays. Or the farmers and students who lived in very rural areas of South Lacey had all night to respond and leave and return to their jobs at day without upsetting a boss.
We’re not anti-volunteer, we just ask that you consider the world that we’re in and understand that volunteers in the fire service are becoming harder to find as communities change, costs and training requirements are quite substantial and growing, and its not accurate to assume that paid fire fighters are out to eliminate volunteers.
If you don’t believe us, look here: Few volunteers news.