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For volunteer departments, challenges continue to grow
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| Clinton Fire Chief John Rindfleisch looks at a schedule for EMTs. He is concerned about the dwindling funds and volunteers available at rural departments. Staff photo by Hillary Gavan |
By Hillary Gavan
Daily News staff writer
Rural volunteer fire departments are struggling with fewer volunteers and fund-raising challenges, according to Clinton Fire Chief and EMS Coordinator John Rindfleisch.
Although call misuse isn't as severe in rural departments as it is in Beloit, there are more calls overall and less help.
For example, in 2005 the Clinton EMS had 228 calls for the entire year. As of June 30, however, the EMS had 141 calls for the first half of the year.
“Although these numbers may seem like a drop in the bucket compared to Beloit's 4,000 calls you have to consider we cover a population of only 4,000 people in a 72 square mile area. Beloit has a population almost 10 times that. We have to find our volunteers within that population and only about one half of that population is close enough to provide ambulance response times acceptable by the State of Wisconsin and our medical director Dr. Rick Barney,” Rindfleisch said.
With more people taking on second jobs as they balance family responsibilities, it's more difficult than ever to attract and retain volunteer EMTs. Currently Clinton has 16 volunteer EMTs, a 50 percent drop from its staff 15 years ago.
Sharon Fire Chief Mark Ruosch said his department also struggles with attracting volunteers.
“Day-time volunteerism is getting tougher all the time. You hope you have a crew to respond during the day when everybody leaves to go to work. It's just getting tougher to recruit and hang onto them,” Ruosch said.
In Sharon there are 16 EMTs and 33 volunteer firefighters. However, during the day only three EMTs are available to respond to calls.
Because there isn't much industry in Sharon, Ruosch said many of the volunteers have to drive to other communities to work and aren't available during the day.
“I worry because we are a volunteer department. I really don't know who is coming at times, so response times are going to get longer as we get stretched thinner and have fewer volunteers,” Ruosch said.
Although the volunteer base is low, Ruosch said that Sharon's calls are up, with about 200 rescue and fire calls a year now. Only about 20 to 25 percent of them are true emergencies.
Rindfleisch's greatest fear is the collapse of the emergency medical system. As it works now, the staffed Rock County 911 Communication Center pages calls out to the volunteer fire departments. Once the call is made, the clock starts ticking.
The problem is that sometimes the 911 center will have to page for volunteer EMTs up to five times in Clinton. There needs to be at least one EMT and one driver or another department such as Sharon or Darien will be called to assist. With those communities located at least 15 minutes away, time becomes critical.
Rindfleisch said residents typically expect service in five minutes or less, but he worries that soon those times will get longer. In northern Wisconsin, for example, response times of a half an hour for ambulance service occurs.
“Something must change or the residents of this area must be willing to accept that they may not have emergency services available in a timely manner, if at all,” Rindfleisch said. “That day is coming sooner where we won't get to the call. The City of Beloit, Sharon and Darien are also overstretched.”
As the volunteers run low, so do the funds.
“Many departments are running on pancake breakfasts, pork dinners and other ways to raise money not included in their budgets,” Rindfleisch said.
Those fundraisers, however, are also coming up short. Sales for Clinton's Aug. 9 pork dinner raffle tickets are leveling off, he said.
“We think this year will see a slight decline because of the economic impact of the area,” Rindfleisch said. “We are not doing too bad but we're seeing the income slow down.”
Although call misuse isn't as severe in rural departments as it is in Beloit, there are more calls overall and less help.
For example, in 2005 the Clinton EMS had 228 calls for the entire year. As of June 30, however, the EMS had 141 calls for the first half of the year.
“Although these numbers may seem like a drop in the bucket compared to Beloit's 4,000 calls you have to consider we cover a population of only 4,000 people in a 72 square mile area. Beloit has a population almost 10 times that. We have to find our volunteers within that population and only about one half of that population is close enough to provide ambulance response times acceptable by the State of Wisconsin and our medical director Dr. Rick Barney,” Rindfleisch said.
With more people taking on second jobs as they balance family responsibilities, it's more difficult than ever to attract and retain volunteer EMTs. Currently Clinton has 16 volunteer EMTs, a 50 percent drop from its staff 15 years ago.
Sharon Fire Chief Mark Ruosch said his department also struggles with attracting volunteers.
“Day-time volunteerism is getting tougher all the time. You hope you have a crew to respond during the day when everybody leaves to go to work. It's just getting tougher to recruit and hang onto them,” Ruosch said.
In Sharon there are 16 EMTs and 33 volunteer firefighters. However, during the day only three EMTs are available to respond to calls.
Because there isn't much industry in Sharon, Ruosch said many of the volunteers have to drive to other communities to work and aren't available during the day.
“I worry because we are a volunteer department. I really don't know who is coming at times, so response times are going to get longer as we get stretched thinner and have fewer volunteers,” Ruosch said.
Although the volunteer base is low, Ruosch said that Sharon's calls are up, with about 200 rescue and fire calls a year now. Only about 20 to 25 percent of them are true emergencies.
Rindfleisch's greatest fear is the collapse of the emergency medical system. As it works now, the staffed Rock County 911 Communication Center pages calls out to the volunteer fire departments. Once the call is made, the clock starts ticking.
The problem is that sometimes the 911 center will have to page for volunteer EMTs up to five times in Clinton. There needs to be at least one EMT and one driver or another department such as Sharon or Darien will be called to assist. With those communities located at least 15 minutes away, time becomes critical.
Rindfleisch said residents typically expect service in five minutes or less, but he worries that soon those times will get longer. In northern Wisconsin, for example, response times of a half an hour for ambulance service occurs.
“Something must change or the residents of this area must be willing to accept that they may not have emergency services available in a timely manner, if at all,” Rindfleisch said. “That day is coming sooner where we won't get to the call. The City of Beloit, Sharon and Darien are also overstretched.”
As the volunteers run low, so do the funds.
“Many departments are running on pancake breakfasts, pork dinners and other ways to raise money not included in their budgets,” Rindfleisch said.
Those fundraisers, however, are also coming up short. Sales for Clinton's Aug. 9 pork dinner raffle tickets are leveling off, he said.
“We think this year will see a slight decline because of the economic impact of the area,” Rindfleisch said. “We are not doing too bad but we're seeing the income slow down.”
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