Excellence in Fire Protection

Firefighter interns reduce fire department staffing costs without reducing firefighter safety

Intern firefighters augment career firefighters by filling one or more firefighter positions on engines and ladder trucks. They attend area colleges while off duty. Fire departments pay their college costs in lieu of wages and pensions. After their four year internship, they graduate debt-free, and fire departments replace them with new interns. Fire departments can support up to two interns for the cost of one career firefighter.

Intern firefighter qualifications:

• They receive the same entry-level firefighter/EMT training as career firefighters.
• They must pass the same physical agility test as career firefighters.
• They must receive a passing score on the same written test used for career firefighters.

Intern firefighter assignments:

They are qualified to fill the same positions filled by entry-level career firefighters. Examples are engine/ladder companies and EMS units staffed by EMT's. They would not serve on engine or ladder companies that require all firefighters to have advanced technical training, such as Hazmat Technician.

How do intern candidates receive the required training?

• Fire departments that have certified instructors conduct their own training.
• Other fire departments use local community colleges that have fire science programs.
• In some areas, high school students receive Firefighter I, Firefighter II, EMT and hazmat recognition training in their junior and senior years.

I know of about 350 US fire departments that have such programs. I'll be happy to provide names of departments nearest to you. Write me at [email protected] or call (913) 708-5917.

 

 

 

College-sponsored resident firefighter programs

Klamath Community College in Oregon just announced its new program to support its fire science and emergency management students. It provides the firefighter and training, along with $4500.00 annual tuition and money for books. The students spend a 24-hour shift per week at one of four area fire departments. 

Several other colleges in the US have similar programs. The advantage to their area fire departments is that the college handles all the administrative details and financial support as well as firefighter and EMT certifications. That is a great advantage for smaller departments that lack funding and training personnel. I have asked the program administrator where they get the funding dollars, and will update this when I her from them, 

Combat-readiness in the 21st century

Fire companies and infantry squads have a lot in common. They are combat units. Both are organized to work swiftly and a highly coordinated manner with other units to accomplish their missions. Like their military counterparts, fire companies must be combat ready if they are expected to accomplish their mission.

Combat, be it military or fire suppression, is manpower-intensive. Both types of units require the right tools and enough "boots on the ground" to do their jobs. As we move into the 21^st century, fire service leaders find it more difficult to staff companies with enough firefighters to keep them combat-ready.

In 2001, the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA)® published two standards that contain requirements for staffing career and volunteer fire companies.^, The minimum number of firefighters required for structure fires varies from 15 to 42 depending on the structure. Figure 1 below depicts the requirement for typical 1-family homes (detached, two story, 2000 sq. feet).

Figure 1. Minimum number of firefighters required for a typical 1-family home.

The NFPA periodically surveys U.S. fire departments to determine their needs. The latest survey, titled Fourth Needs Assessment of the U.S. Fire Service, confirms what the earlier ones found. Most fire departments have too few firefighters to be combat-ready.

Fire service leaders attribute their staffing problems to two changes that have occurred over the past decades. For career departments, the change is the cost of salaries and pensions in an era of fewer structure fires. Salaries and pensions account for over 90 percent of fire department budgets. City leaders looking to cut fire department costs demand that their chiefs cut staff, ignoring the fact that structure fires will occur and overwhelm understaffed fire companies.

For volunteer departments, the dwindling pool of candidates has left many of them hard-pressed to handle increased call loads, let alone the increased risks posed by synthetic furnishings and lightweight construction.

Military staffing model

The military keeps its infantry squads combat-ready by staffing with a combination of career soldiers/marines and people who sign up for specific periods of service. Career personnel fill each squad's leadership and technical positions. The military fills the remaining positions with recruits, whom it attracts by offering valuable incentives. The most popular incentive is a free college education. When the recruits complete their service, about half of them opt to remain in the military. The others return to civilian life with enough cash to pay for college, a huge asset when competing for good-paying jobs.

Would a similar staffing model work for fire departments? Can such a model help volunteer departments as well as career? The answer to both questions is yes, and I will discuss how both types of departments can use similar staffing models to address their staffing deficiencies.

College student/firefighters

I know that the military-style staffing model works because over US 350 fire departments already use it. It is not a new concept. Some fire departments have been augmenting staff with college student/firefighters and part-time temporary employees for decades. The number of programs has increased dramatically in the past two decades as more departments create them to improve their combat readiness. Figure 2 below shows the states where the programs exist and the number of programs in each.

Figure 2. Fire departments using temporary firefighters.

About one half of the fire departments that use college student/firefighters are career or combination departments, and the rest are volunteer. Both attract candidates with the same kinds of incentives that range from free housing at fire stations to full tuition and expenses. Candidates who sign up with career/combination departments generally work full-time shifts. Volunteer departments use them to be on duty during times when volunteer responses are usually low.

A key difference between the fire department and military staffing models is that the firefighters complete college while working instead of waiting until their service periods are complete. They must maintain full class loads and have passing grades in order to stay in their programs.

Program advantages

The most significant advantage is the lower cost. Career departments can fill an average of two firefighter positions with trained college students for the cost of one career firefighter. The ratio depends upon the amount of incentives. Some departments provide free housing, while others offer additional benefits. The amount of incentives will determine the ratio. For example, the Auburn, Alabama fire division offers free housing, full tuition, hourly wages and health benefits. Its operating costs are still low enough to fill three firefighter positions for the cost of two career firefighters.

Another advantage is reduced pension burdens. As I noted above, about one half of college student/firefighters take civilian jobs after they graduate. The lower pension burden enables fire departments to maintain higher pension levels for their career firefighters.

A third advantage is having fire companies with lower average ages. Fire suppression is a strenuous activity. Individuals' aerobic capacity, known as VO2max, declines an average of 3-6 percent per year. All things considered, younger firefighters are more able to perform strenuous activity longer and with less heart stress.

One can argue that the lack of experience counters the lower age advantages. It may be a valid point for companies in regions where fires occur more frequently and are more challenging. But for the vast majority of fire departments, the low frequency of structure fires means than no one is gaining much hands-on experience.

Program scope

College student/firefighter programs are adaptable to the needs and resources of each department. For example, volunteer fire department A might require them to serve two day shifts and two night shifts per week in return for free housing. Volunteer department B might respond to EMS calls and require two student/firefighters on duty during business hours to shorten response times. Some career departments like Auburn provide free housing plus tuition reimbursement, and require their student/firefighters to serve the same 9-10 24-hour shifts as the career firefighters. Others may offer lower benefits and use them for shorter work periods.

Program scale

The ratio of student/firefighters to the other firefighters is limited by their level of training. They receive the same graining as career entry-level firefighters. As such, their roles are limited to engine and ladder companies and medical units. They do not serve on units that require hazmat or technical rescue technicians because they require advanced training and certification. Career firefighters fill those positions.

The scope, scale and benefit packages of these programs are too diverse to cover here, but I describe some of them at www.fdexcellence.com. Some of the departments post copies of their guidelines or protocols for student/firefighters on their web sites. A search for "college student firefighter, resident firefighter or live-in firefighter" will provide links to many of them. I have a dozen or so of the protocols on file and will be happy to email them.

Program administration

Fire departments use a variety of ways to administer their programs. Larger departments often have officers who are certified to conduct firefighter and EMS training. Others rely upon area schools that have fire science and EMS programs. In some cases, those schools administer the entire programs and place the students with participating fire departments.

Program startup

Launching a college student/firefighter program may seem daunting. Departments need to gauge whether the student population will provide enough candidates. Can they provide living quarters, e. g., private rooms, that will attract more candidates? As discussed above, who will train them? What about rules to supervise them? Who will monitor their progress in college and coordinate absences from duty to attend class?

There is no central resource for answering those questions, but departments with such programs are very willing to share their experiences and policies. As shown in Figure 2, programs now exist in 39 states. The vast majority of those departments have web sites with contact information, policies and guidelines. I will supply lists of departments in each state to help locate them. I also share my collection of sample policies.

Misperceptions

I have seen two misperceptions about these programs. The first is that fire stations will become college dorms, frat houses, etc. It is simply not the case, for several reasons.

First, fire departments use the same selection criteria as they do for career personnel. The selection process is just as competitive, and selects individuals who are qualified and able to work in military-like environments.

Also, college student/firefighters work under the same rules as the other firefighters, plus additional ones regarding to their living quarters. Examples are personal responsibility for room cleanliness and the prohibition of overnight guests. They have no additional privileges, such as absence from duty during semester breaks. They accrue vacations days but are at the bottom of the seniority ladder when it comes to selecting time off.

The second misperception is that college student/firefighters are not as qualified. I have reviewed every department in my database, and found that they require the same training, certification and physical ability levels as their other firefighters. A few volunteer departments take them on before they are trained. However, they do not allow them to respond until they meet the training requirements.

The goodwill advantage

The cost advantages of college student/firefighter programs are clear. They enable career/combination departments to maintain combat readiness for significantly less cost. For volunteer departments, they are a less expensive way to handle higher call volumes and stay volunteer.

Those cost savings are measurable, but fire service leaders should not overlook the intangible benefits. Fire departments that augment their firefighters with college student/firefighters provide better fire protection at a lower cost, and create more college opportunities for their residents at the same time. When it comes to budget or fundraising time, such a value-added service can make tax payers and contributors more willing to support their departments' needs.

Traditional performance measures

When I speak to fire chiefs about measuring fire suppression effectiveness, I use a baseball example to point out the drawbacks of traditional measures like annual fire loss.

In the 1960 World Series, the New York Yankees played the Pittsburgh Pirates. The Series went to seven games, with the Yankees amassing 55 runs v. 27 for the Pirates. If we used aggregated data like total runs to determine the winner, it would be clear that the Yankees won the Series. They didn't.

The Pirates won the Series because they won more games (4-3). Here is the game-by-game breakdown:

Game One: Pittsburgh 6, Yankees 4

Game Two Yankees 16, Pittsburgh 3

Game Three Yankees 10, Pittsburgh 0

Game Four Pittsburgh 3, Yankees 2

Game Five Pittsburgh 5, Yankees 2

Game Six Yankees 12, Pittsburgh 0

Game Seven Pittsburgh 9, Yankees 0

The Yankees earned most of their runs in three blowouts. However, the Pirates won four of the seven games and took the championship.

Like the baseball analogy, aggregated data like annual fire loss gives us general information, but do not describe the results of each incident. I suggest that fire chiefs "score" fire incidents in two ways. First, did the fire grow beyond flashover before it was extinguished?  Second, did the fire kill anyone? That might sound impractical, but it is not. I'll discuss why in another post.

 

Recognition for community risk control activity

We recognize firefighters for their work in many ways, but none of the recognition is for community risk reduction (CRR) activities. I believe that we must do so if we want to get them - and keep them - involved.

That was why I created a recognition program back in the 1990's. I called it the Order of Life Safety Servants, a knighthood awarded to fire service members who demonstrated a commitment to CRR. Civilians were eligible to become honorary members.

Inductees received the following items:

• A Declaration of Appointment lettered in Olde English, suitable for framing
• A document outlining requirements for membership
•  A cloisonne OLSS lapel pin for civilian cloths
• An OLSS service ribbon for uniforms
• A letter of appointment sent to them and their superior (fire chief, city manager, etc.)

I made the initial appointments among individuals whom I knew to meet the requirements. Future appointments were based upon letter of nomination that indicated why the prospective member met the requirements.

The response was quite good, and I had planned on two additional ranks of knighthood. But the program died at the hands of federal bureaucrats. I was the executive director of Operation Life Safety, which received most of its support from the USFA. A USFA bureaucrat decided that the lapel pins and service ribbons were "gifts"  and killed the program. Talk about ironic.

I tried to find alternate funding but was unsuccessful. I still feel that recognition is central to encouraging firefighters to take up the cause of CRR, and am writing about my experience to encourage others to find ways of doing so.

 

The fire department staffing dilemma

[Note: This is the text version of the article printed in the July, 2016 edition of PM (Public Management) Magazine]

The basic purpose of fire departments is to stop structure fires before they grow into conflagrations. The frequency of structure fires has steadily decreased over the past four decades, and emergency medical calls are now the most frequent fire department response. The National Fire Protection Association reports that medical and rescue calls account for 64 percent of fire department emergency work, and fire calls account for only 4 percent.

This shift in demand presents a dilemma. Trimming staff to what is needed for the more frequent EMS responses will cut fire department costs. With too few firefighters on duty, however, the structure fires that do occur are more likely to claim lives and spread to other buildings.

A growing number of fire departments are adopting the staffing model used by the U.S. military. The armed forces augment their cadres of career personnel with individuals who sign up to serve for a limited time. The military attracts them by offering valuable incentives, the most popular being a free college education. More than 350 fire departments now use the military staffing model and augment smaller crews with firefighters who sign up for a specific time period; the typical commitment is four years. The most popular incentive is a paid college education; other options include free housing.

The cost savings are substantial. On average, fire departments can fill two firefighter positions for the cost of one career firefighter. In addition to lower salary costs, the staffing model reduces pension burdens. One half of the firefighters in these programs choose other careers after finishing their service.

Staffing for Structure Fires

In order to effectively handle structure fires, fire departments need a network of stations that enable pumpers and ladder trucks to quickly reach fire scenes. The distance between stations is dictated by the number of firefighters and apparatus needed to stop structure fires before they spread to other buildings.

The following list shows the number of tasks needed to handle a house fire and the number of firefighters to perform them. Structures that pose greater risks due to their size, occupants, and contents will require more firefighters and apparatus.

Attack line	3
Ventilation	2
Search & rescue	2
Rapid intervention crew	2
Backup line	3
Pump operator	1
Water supply	2
Utility control	1
Incident command	1

Structure fires present several immediate challenges at the same time, including stopping fire growth, searching for victims, and opening a path for heat and fire gases to escape. Each of the actions requires enough firefighters to perform these critical tasks simultaneously or in close coordination.

Stopping the fire, for example, requires two or three firefighters to stretch a hose from a pumper to the entry point and prepare to enter. While they do that, a pump operator sets up to pump water to the attack line. At the same time, another team of firefighters connects a water supply hose between the pumper and a hydrant.

When the attack team is ready to enter, another team must be ready to open a ventilation path. This coordinated activity keeps the flames and hot gases from rolling back over the attack team and any trapped victims. While all of that is happening, another team begins searching for victims.    

As Figure 1 illustrates, effective performance of those tasks simultaneously and in close coordination is manpower intensive. Attempting to handle structure fires with smaller crews increases property loss, makes civilian deaths and injuries more likely, and puts firefighters at greater risk.

A medical study highlighted the increased risk to firefighter when crews were smaller. Analysts monitored firefighter heart rates among varying-sized crews during simulated house fires. One group arrived on the scene with four firefighters on each apparatus, and all of the apparatus arrived in time to let the firefighters perform critical tasks in close coordination. The other groups had two or three firefighters.

The results showed that heart rates among the first group went to the maximum level, but periodically decreased. Heart rates in the latter groups stayed at maximum levels throughout the exercise.

Not a New Concept

The military staff model has been used by fire departments for quite some time now. One option—hiring college students as temporary firefighters—is neither a new nor untested concept. The College Park, Maryland, fire department, for example, created its program in 1947. The number of such programs in the United States grew steadily during the 1990s and has grown exponentially since then.

My personal database of fire departments in the United States that use temporary firefighters, based on periodic Internet searches, shows that of the more than 350 fire departments known to use college students as firefighters, half of them are career or combination. The other half are volunteer. The smallest departments have one station, and the largest has 47.

The Auburn, AL fire division adopted the military staffing model in 1989. It began by augmenting its staff of 50 career firefighters with nine temporary firefighters. The division now employs 100 firefighters, and 60 of them are temporary. The temporary service periods range from two to six years and average four years. The six year term allows firefighters to stay in the program long enough to complete graduate school. The model's cost-efficiency allows Auburn to staff each apparatus with five-person crews. Career members fill two of the positions, and temporary firefighters fill the remaining three.

Auburn requires that its temporary firefighters have the same qualifications as their career counterparts. They must pass the same physical ability test and complete the same basic training before being assigned to an engine or ladder company.

The fire division's training officers are qualified to conduct the firefighter and EMS training in-house. The training lasts 15-16 weeks, and produces 10 to 15 firefighters each year to replace those who have completed their degrees.

The fire division provides free living quarters in three of its five stations. It pays full tuition for firefighters who maintain a 2.5 grade point average. The division also pays the firefighters a modest hourly wage when they are on duty, and their benefit package is similar to that of the career members.

Auburn's compensation plan makes it the most robust military-model staffing program in the country. Auburn Fire Division Chief John Lankford said that internal analysis showed the division operates for 20 percent less than if it employed all career firefighters.

Gaining Acceptance

Implementing such a change has its challenges, but Auburn's experience shows that the challenges need not be daunting. When Auburn switched to military-style staffing, the leadership was facing several challenges. The firefighters already distrusted management due to suspected cronyism and favoritism in promotions under the past fire chief. Also, the division had just transferred its paramedic service to a local hospital, which left fewer opportunities for advancement. The new staffing model and already low trust levels pushed firefighters' anxiety to new highs.

Cortez Lawrence, Ph.D., now an education specialist at the National Fire Academy in Emmitsburg, MD, was deputy director of the public safety department at the time and guided the fire division through the adaption process. He began by creating a team leader position for each shift. This position's primary role was to manage the new firefighters' schedules and avoid conflicts between duty hours and class schedules. The team leaders also helped integrate the new firefighters into the division.

The new staffing model left firefighters worried that they might be immediately replaced and the college students would eventually take all of their jobs. The city eased their concerns by agreeing that all replacements would solely be due to attrition.

Lawrence also assured them that the fire division would continue to fill its officer positions with career personnel. The same was true for all technical positions like hazmat and special rescue technicians.

Response to the change was mixed, according to Lawrence. Some of the firefighters, primarily those who were attending college themselves, were willing to give the new staffing model a chance. Others remained skeptical, but eventually accepted the new staffing arrangement.

Departments of all types and sizes now use the military staffing model. The scope of individual programs varies according to each fire department's needs and resources. While the potential savings in both salaries and pension burdens is readily apparent, the programs do more than save money. They also create more college opportunities for community residents.

Calling on residential sprinkler contractors. Switch to PEX.

The first residential sprinkler systems with PEX pipe used potable water, so only plumbers could install them. That has changed. Some PEX manufacturers have gotten 3/4-inch PEX UL-Listed for NFPA 13D systems. Instead of the Grid or Network layout used for 1/2-inch PEX, the 3/4-inch systems use a Simple Loop layout. It can be installed as a stand-alone system as well as a plumbing-based system.

This gives sprinkler contractors a huge labor-saving advantage because PEX eliminates the majority of fittings required on CPVC systems. I am working on a comparison between a PEX and CPVC Simple Loop layout, and will post it when done. I expect to see a significant cost reduction.

What if sprinklers had been installed?

 Home builders argue that new homes are safer and thus sprinklers are not necessary. That argument can easily be refuted by using fire modeling tools from NIST that that can recreate an actual house fire and compare the outcome with what would have happened had sprinklers been installed.

The following download is  an example of what I would do when I assisted local fire officials with adopting residential sprinkler requirements. Not being a fire protection engineer, I consulted one to verify the settings that I entered into the NIST FPE Tool.

Download FPETOOL example

The value of residential sprinklers to communities

Residential fire sprinklers significantly increase life safety to citizens, and they also reduce the impact of growth in communities. When homes in new subdivisions are protected with sprinklers, they reduce the demand on fire departments and public water supplies, and also provide a reasonable level of safety to firefighters.

• Communities with career fire departments

 

1. The majority of career fire departments are located in communities around or near urban areas. Communities that are outside of densely-built urban areas space their fire stations with no overlap in first-due areas. This is the primary reason why the US Fire Administration reports that four out of five fire departments cannot comply with national standards for fire department staffing and response times.[i]
2. New subdivisions with sprinklered homes reduce the demand on fire departments by over 50 percent.
3. In subdivisions with sprinklered homes, fire stations can be sited farther apart with no overlap of first-due response areas. This allows communities to maintain the cost efficiency of wider fire station spacing, while improving the life safety of the new occupants. . 

• Communities with volunteer fire departments

 

1. There are ten percent fewer volunteer firefighters today than there were 30 years ago.The average age of volunteer firefighters has gone from age 20 in the 1980’s to over age 40 today.
2. Societal and economic changes continue to reduce the number of new volunteer firefighters.
3. Sprinklered homes reduce the demand on volunteer fire departments and allow longer response times. 

• Impact on water supplies 

 

1. In subdivisions with sprinklered homes, fire flow (the amount of water needed to suppress fires), can be reduced from 1000 GPM+ to 500 GPM. For communities, this means lower costs for treating, storing and distributing water. In addition to lowering the costs of water supplies, sprinklered homes help conserve water supplies. 

• Impact on infrastructure

 

1. Side yard and front yard setbacks can be safely reduced, allowing denser housing and reducing the cost per lot.
2. Cul-de-sacs can be lengthened and use smaller turn-around radii.
3. Roads can be narrower.
4. Water mains can be smaller.
5. Fire hydrant spacing can double.
6. Homes can be located where there is no access to one of more sides of the home.

• Impact on life safety

1. Escape times from homes on fire have dropped from 17 minutes 30 years ago to 3 minutes. Fire sprinklers stop fire growth before flashover and save lives.
2. Data from communities that require sprinklers show that the likelihood of escaping a fire increases to 98 percent v. the 50 percent chance of escaping alive in homes with smoke alarms. 

 

• Impact on firefighter safety

 

1. Two major changes in housing have increased the threat to firefighter safety, synthetic furnishings and light-weight trusses.
2. Synthetic materials burn twice as hot and twice as fast as cotton and wool. The increase in synthetic furnishings has caused the time to flashover to drop from 17 minutes in 1984 to 3 minutes today.
3. Light-weight trusses have replaced solid-sawn floor joists. When exposed to fire, they fail much sooner and without warning.   

For communities to develop fiscally sustainable fire protection services, they need the power determine the most cost effective way to provide fire protection to their citizens while providing reasonable levels of safety to their firefighters.

[i]Four Years Later – A Second Needs Assessment of the U. S Fire Service, USFA, FA-303, October 2006.

Reining in fire department costs

Governing Magazine recently published my essay on this subject, where I describe how college student firefighters significantly reduce costs without reducing fire protection. It is in the May 29th edition at http://www.governing.com/gov-institute/voices/col-replacing-career-firefighters-college-students.html

Sustainable fire protection

Sustainable Fire Protection

How do you keep enough firefighters on duty to handle structure fires when they are least of fire department responses?

How do you pay their pensions when those costs outstrip revenues?

The 50 percent drop in structure fires over the past decades has fueled the perception that fire departments are over-staffed. Consequently, a gulf exists between what fire chiefs and the general public consider as adequate fire protection.

If career firefighters protect your community, fire protection is probably the second highest budget item in your town’s General Fund (police protection being the highest). Firefighter wages take the lion's share of fire department operating expenses. Pension costs have added to the problem. In the economic downturn that began in 2008, cities postponed pension contributions in order to conserve revenue. The cost of catching up has outstripped revenues and now threatens more cities with bankruptcy.

City leaders in those towns are demanding that fire chiefs lay off firefighters and close stations. Staff reductions mean smaller fire crews, and that creates a public safety dilemma. Although structure fires are fewer than in the past, they will occur. When they do, the only effective way to stop them is a rapid response with enough apparatus and firefighters. The traditional staffing model provides those resources, but at a high cost to taxpayers.

Traditional fire department staffing

The current fire department staffing model was created in the 19^th century. It calls for fire stations close enough to each other to get several fire pumpers and ladder trucks to a fire scene in a few minutes. Typical stations house a pumper staffed by firefighters who are on duty 24/7. Some stations also house ladder trucks and specialty units such as heavy rescue.

This staffing model is effective, but effectiveness comes at a cost. Fire suppression is labor-intensive. The National Fire Protection Association's (NFPA) Standard 1710, the nationally recognized standard for fire department operations, calls for a minimum of 17 firefighters to suppress a house fire. That number can double in areas where homes are closer together.

Compliance with NFPA 1710 requires a dense network of stations that enable the first unit to arrive in a four minute travel time, with the remaining apparatus arriving four minutes after that.  The standard also requires a minimum of four firefighters on each pumper, and 4-5 firefighters on ladder trucks. Thus a response to a house fire requires a minimum of three pumpers, a ladder truck and one chief officer.

Firefighter pensions are another cost factor. Firefighters retire at age 50-55, much younger than non-public safety personnel. As a result, adequately staffed fire departments have heavier pension burdens.

Many fire departments have taken on extra duties to fill in the extra standby time, such as emergency medical calls, hazardous material spills and technical rescues. But even with the additional duties, they are on standby for structure fires over 80 percent of the time.

Sustainable staffing models

In order to reduce costs without reducing effectiveness, more fire departments are reducing the number of career firefighters and augmenting them with full- or part-time temporary firefighters. They are college students, whose compensation ranges from free housing to complete tuition in lieu of salaries and pensions. 

The savings can be significant. On average, fire departments can support two college student/firefighters for the cost of one career firefighter. The amount saved depends upon the level of benefits. The fire department with the highest level of benefits is saving 20 percent.

Fire departments in urban areas have many colleges within commuting distance, and many rural towns have community colleges in their region. Over 300 fire departments in 37 states now use college student/firefighters.

College student/firefighters - the basic concept

Fire departments select qualified college-bound students to serve four-six years as full-time firefighter/EMTs. (Some departments accept two-year college programs.) In return, the students receive subsidized or free college educations. Analyses of career firefighter compensation and student/firefighter college expenses show that fire departments can support two or three student/firefighters for the cost of a career firefighter. In addition to lowering salary costs, the student/firefighters ease fire department pension burdens. Some cost details are presented below.

Full-time firefighters work only 9-10 days per month. The schedule gives students sufficient time to serve as firefighters and attend college. On-line classes further reduce potential conflicts between duty days and attending class. 

Most fire departments allow their student/firefighters to attend any college that is within a reasonable commute and offers competitive tuition rates, such as state and community colleges. For example, dozens of career, combination and volunteer fire departments in the Minneapolis-St. Paul (MN) metropolitan area are near ten colleges and universities. That number yields a substantial pool of potential student/firefighters.

The basic model is for student/firefighters to carry full-time class loads and maintain at least "C" grade averages. Some departments vary that, depending upon their specific needs. At graduation, the student/firefighters leave with college degrees and no college debt. They are also experienced firefighters, an advantage if they decide to pursue fire service careers

Student/firefighter costs

Data on the average cost of college educations and firefighter salaries show that fire departments can support multiple student/firefighters for the cost of each career firefighter. For example, the median starting salary for firefighters in the US is $48,000.00. The median annual cost to attend a public college (including tuition and dorm fees) is $12,000.00. Assuming a cost of $3,000.00 per student firefighter for initial training, those costs could support a ratio of up to four student/firefighters per one career firefighter.

Recruitment, selection and compensation options

Some fire departments hold annual recruitment dives in the spring, train candidates during the summer and appoint them at the beginning of the fall semester.

The Auburn (AL) fire department program is one example. Its student/firefighters must carry full academic load (12 hours per semester) and maintain C averages. The department allows them to leave their stations to attend classes, and off-duty student/firefighters fill in for them during their absence.

The department recruits about 15 candidates each spring to replace graduating students. The summer training includes state certification as Firefighter Level 1 and emergency medical technician (EMT), and takes 14 weeks.

The city compensates its student/firefighters in four ways:

1. Hourly wages beginning at $7.45, and topping at $8.07 in the fourth year.
2. Living quarters in the fire stations.
3. Medical insurance and pension contributions. 
4. Tuition reimbursement for student/firefighters who maintain a 2.5 grade point average (C+).

The Auburn fire department does its own training. Other fire departments use local technical or community colleges to train their candidates. In others, the fire department training division provides it. At the beginning of the school year, successful candidates are assigned to duty shifts.

Operating a high school fire cadet program is another option. Such a program gets students interested in fire service careers early on, and gives them time to meet criteria like physical requirements. Typical fire cadet programs include the following steps:

• The sponsoring fire department invites interested students and parents to orientation meetings that describe the program's objectives, benefits and requirements. The meetings are open to freshmen through senior year students.
• Interested students are invited to participate in the department's physical fitness test. Students need not immediately pass the test to become cadets. Rather, the test gives potential college student/firefighters time to meet the physical requirements by their senior year. Also, the test will help potential cadets decide if they are suited to such a physically demanding job.
• Cadets attend extra-curricular training on Firefighter I and II during each school year. EMT training would begin in their junior and senior years.
  • The extra-curricular training yields several benefits. The students have sufficient time to qualify as firefighter/EMT’s, and time to achieve grades that make them college-eligible. It also gives the fire department trainers a long-term evaluation process to monitor student progress and suitability for the job.
  • Senior year students who complete the firefighter and EMT training - and are accepted by a college approved by the department - continue the selection process with interviews, physical and psychological evaluations.

Some departments allow college student/firefighters time off from their duty shifts to attend classes. They then return to work for the remainder of their shifts. Other departments leave the positions open during their absence or pay off-duty student/firefighters to fill the positions. For example, one fire department pays off-duty student/firefighters $10.00 per hour to fill in for on-duty student /firefighters who are attending classes. On other departments, the student firefighters arrange trades with off-duty student firefighters to fill in for them.

A note on union membership. Most unionized fire departments are members of the International Association of Firefighters (IAFF). The IAFF restricts membership to full-time firefighters, and full-time college student/firefighters would be union members like their career counterparts. Part-time college student/firefighters can seek membership in the Association of Federal, State and Municipal Employees union (AFSME).

Program scope

Local conditions will dictate the number of student firefighters per shift. In cities where 1- and 2-family homes are the primary suppression demand, fire companies may have two student firefighters serving with a career officer and a career apparatus operator. In cities with greater risks like hazmat and technical rescue, career personnel would handle those responses. That is because those duties require technical training and skills that are beyond the capabilities of firefighters working on engines and ladder trucks. Where cities have dense urban cores, they may use all career personnel in those areas and assign student firefighters to stations with lower demands. Since the programs are local initiatives, each city has the flexibility to match program specifics with its needs and resources.

Student/firefighters for volunteer departments

Volunteer fire departments face a dwindling pool of people who are willing (and able) to serve. That often leaves them with too few firefighters available during daytime hours, and longer response times for fire and EMS calls. The solutions are limited and daunting. Jurisdictions accustomed to the low costs of volunteer departments will likely chafe at budget increases needed to hire career firefighters. For example, hiring enough firefighters to staff one apparatus with four personnel on a 24/7 basis costs an average of $1 million+ per year.

Using college student/firefighters costs volunteer departments much less than "going career."

Funding and administration options

Larger jurisdictions typically administer their own programs, as do many small ones. Others depend on local community colleges for administration, and one group of fire protection districts jointly administers their program.

The same applies to funding. The scope of funding depends upon the range of benefits. A lot of smaller fire departments are able to offer free living quarters in their fire stations, with the range of benefits going from there to the “Auburn model,” which offers wages ant tuition as well as housing.

In Colorado and Maryland, the state legislatures provide tuition support to firefighter/EMT’s during their participation on local fire departments. The Ohio state legislature offers grants to cities that create cost-saving programs, and college student/firefighter programs should qualify for that support.

Keys for success

In the years that I have followed the growth of college student/firefighter programs, I have identified three factors that enable their creation and sustainment. The first is written guidelines and policies. Such documents are freely available on the Internet, and I have collected several that I am willing to share.

The second is the set of qualifications that college student/firefighters must meet. It is crucial that they not be less than the qualifications required of existing firefighters, be they career or volunteer.

The third factor is how departments treat their college student/firefighters. It is critical that be treated the same as all other firefighters on the department, i. e., given the same uniforms, considered as equals to the rest of the firefighters, and expected to perform at the same level as their full-time and volunteer peers.