Nov. 2—OKLAHOMA CITY — Rep. David Smith, R-Arpelar, held a midterm review last week to examine issues surrounding the recruitment and retention of volunteer rural firefighters.
The extensive investigation was held at the State Capitol on October 21 before the House Public Safety Committee.
“I live in rural Oklahoma and know the importance of rural firefighters,” Smith said. “We have 60- and 70-year-olds fighting fires because we can’t get some of the younger people up there.”
Smith said rural firefighting is much more than just fighting wildfires. Firefighters are often the first line of defense for home and business owners. He recounted his own experience where his family’s two-story home burned down within 30 minutes, despite the efforts of four county fire departments.
“The only thing they could do by the time they got there was save my outbuildings,” Smith said. “For me, since no one got hurt and they kept my tools so I could build another house, that was fine with me. But you all do more than you get credit for, and we know it.”
Smith invited fire coordinators from across the state to participate in the study.
Luke Underwood is one of 11 rural fire coordinators from across the state representing 840 rural fire departments – fire departments that serve communities with populations of less than 10,000. Every department faces similar problems, he said, noting that the investigation was necessary and actually overdue.
“The issue of retention is a serious battle across the state, and I’m not sure there is any solution other than some form of incentive,” he said. “I hate to say that we have to come up with some kind of incentive to get someone to volunteer to become a firefighter, but that’s exactly where we are right now. It is not uncommon for these departments to struggle to keep people on their schedules. and to keep them active.”
Underwood is in charge of the Caddo district, which includes seven southeastern Oklahoma counties and 121 fire departments. He said that when he started, rural firefighting was more of a community effort with everyone helping their neighbors, and it was a time when 18-year-olds thought it was cool to man the fire truck. Now people are engaged in sports and other activities that take up a large part of their time. He talked about his own experiences as a rural fire dispatcher and part-time deputy sheriff, as well as running a real estate business with his wife, with whom he has three daughters. The family also goes to church twice a week, including school and other activities.
“I’m one of the busiest people you’ll ever meet in your life,” Underwood said. “But I understand that volunteering your time means you’re going to have to make sacrifices. I believe people’s hearts are different now,” Underwood said.
He said he’s heard about expanding retirement eligibility, but he’s not sure if it’s feasible or even the right answer.
Rep. Danny Williams, R-Seminole, asked if a $1,000 per month stipend would make a difference, and Underwood said it couldn’t hurt since money tends to pique people’s interest.
Ed Barton, the rural fire coordinator for the Eastern Oklahoma Development District (EODD), based in Muskogee, said rural fire departments are struggling financially. For many, the bulk of their budget comes from annual forestry subsidies of about $10,000, he said. Another problem is that the state is adding more training requirements to existing volunteers who have had enough, he said.
“We are all for training, but we need to make that training feasible for volunteers,” he said. No volunteer will drive to Oklahoma City for mandatory training at their own expense, he said.
This issue sparked the idea for the study. Smith held meetings with rural fire coordinators earlier this year, during which several expressed concerns about additional mandatory training requirements placed on unpaid volunteers. Smith contacted the state’s fire marshal for a solution, and the investigation was a way to further the discussion.
Other presenters of the survey included Ernie Moore, retired rural fire coordinator and retired executive director of the EODD; Mark Goeller, state forester and director of forestry services for the Oklahoma Department of Agriculture, Food and Forestry; Clayton Webb, Buckhorn Fire Chief; the Oklahoma Fire Chiefs Association; Kyle Ramer with the Jacktown Fire Department in Lincoln County; Sheri Nickel, deputy director of the Oklahoma State Firefighters Association; and Bryan Miller, Alva Fire Chief.
