STAGE OF ENGAGEMENT: IMPLEMENTING
Increased pressure has been placed on volunteer fire chiefs and elected officials in response to concerns that volunteer fire departments are not equipped to effectively support their residents. Declining demand for fire services, combined with increased competition with other municipalities, has left a structural challenge for the future of volunteer fire chiefs in PA.
GET INVOLVED
Across the nation, volunteer fire departments have been facing ever-mounting challenges
including:
- Reduced staffing capacity
- Insufficient and divergent funding streams
- Demand for diversification
- Reduction in overall volunteerism
The Future of Fire (FOF) program was developed in 2019 to support nonprofit (501c3) volunteer fire departments (VFDs) and municipal officials by building collaborative capacity within Allegheny County. Throughout 2023, building off of our Building Collaborative Capacity and Needs Assessment report, our Future of Fire Consultant, Anthony Terrace, engaged with various municipal officials and fire department chiefs.