The Missing Volunteers: Preventing Firefighter Burnout & Discontentedness

Many volunteer fire departments across the country have experienced a decrease in the number of active volunteers. Without adequate levels of first responders, communities are left vulnerable and active members are at risk of burnout.

In addition to limited number of firefighters, the Pareto Principle also causes exhaustion among active members. The Pareto Principle, also known as the 80-20 rule, states that 80% of the work is done by 20% of the volunteers. Departments need to be proactive in order to reverse and avoid falling victim to this principle. A study conducted on volunteer firefighter burnout and organizational connectedness, indicated emotional demands and home life as the two leading reasons firefighters become disconnected with volunteer service.

Volunteers begin to disengage when the requirements of the fire service start to interfere with home commitments. When home demands are not being met due to the demands of the fire service, emotional exhaustion can take place. The volunteer faced with unmet duties at home can develop cynical feelings towards the department. This in turn creates a disconnect between the member and the organization. The conflict between fire service and home life causes the member to lack both the energy and devotion to serve the community. This leads to missed trainings and failure to respond to calls.

It is no secret that the home life of the volunteer is often disrupted due to an emergency in the community. Dinners are interrupted, plans for a date night are put on hold, and even on Christmas morning antsy children have been known to wait until a parent returns from a call to open gifts. Firefighters and their families both make sacrifices to serve.

The home environment itself plays a critical role on positive member performance. Members with supportive social circles and family members are less likely to fall victim to burnout. When support is absent, volunteers tend to struggle to cope with the demands of volunteering and start to disengage. With conflict at home being a main predictor for burnout, it is important for fire departments to assist volunteers with creating a healthy balance between fire service and home demands. The following strategies are offered to help maintain balance.

Respect Member Time

Time is valuable. Members sacrifice time from family and friends to protect the community. In return, they need a hassle-free environment during the time dedicated to volunteering. Departments can do this by creating and posting quarterly training schedules with start and end times. It is important to always abide by the set schedule. If training is to start at 6:30 p.m., don’t wait until 6:45 to get started. Ending at the stated time is also critical. This helps members to schedule and honor home commitments without fear of running over and disappointing a loved one. 

Avoid scheduling non-emergency activities, such as meetings and trainings, on multiple days during a single week. Don’t ask members to give up more than one night a week away from home for non-emergency items. During meetings, be mindful of wasted time. Reduce unnecessary discussions during business meetings by sticking to a pre-developed agenda. If an additional topic is brought up, and it is not time sensitive, table it for the next meeting. For those departments that review the previous meeting minutes out loud, word for word, send them out to members via email in advance for review. This allows a quick vote for approval or a short discussion for corrections to be made. The same can be done with the treasurer’s report.

Signups for special events and fundraisers should be broken down into three-hour shifts. By keeping the shifts short, members are able to spend time enjoying the event with their family before or after their shift. It also allows the member to honor any outside personal commitments before or after the event. Some members may want to work double shifts, but allow them the choice, and don’t make those choosing a single shift feel second-rate. 

Utilizing duty weekends is another method to respect member time. This allows your top 20% to have weekends with family without worry. Allow members to select the weekends in advance that work best for their personal schedule. Offer incentives, such as fuel or restaurant gift cards to members volunteering for weekend duty. These small incentives show appreciation for the sacrifice being made to serve.

Family Involvement

With family support playing a critical role in the support of the volunteer, it is important for fire departments to engage the entire family. Research shows the support offered by family can counteract negative attitudes that start to develop towards the organization.

Involving the family should start at the recruitment level. Offer brochures for family members that welcome them into the fire service and outline what to expect. Create an environment that is supportive of family inclusion. Start new traditions to promote the importance of family. These new traditions can be as simple as planned family dinner and game nights at the station, quarterly cookouts, family-focused holiday parties, and family recognition nights. 

Departments can also offer workshops to spouses covering items of concern. Bring in subject matter experts to discuss firefighter cancer, PTSD, fitness, and reputation management. Engaging families and members together also builds team cohesion and can reduce possible insecurities.

Ask & Listen

The last strategy offered is to turn to your members and listen. Find out what is keeping them from honoring their volunteer commitment. Create an anonymous survey to find out what stressors exist from volunteering, what prevents them from responding to calls, and seek feedback on what the department can do to meet their needs. Reach out personally to inactive members and find out the reason for their absenteeism. A good leader never makes assumptions, they take the time to investigate the cause of an issue.

Reference

• Huynh, J., Xanthopoulou, D., & Winefield, A. (2013). Social support moderates the impact of demands on burnout and organizational connectedness: A two-wave study of volunteer firefighters. Journal of Occupational Health Psychology, 18(1), 9-15. doi: 10.1037/a0030804

CANDICE MCDONALD is a firefighter/EMS Officer with the Winona, OH, Fire Department and works for NASA in emergency management. She is the co-chair of the Cumberland Valley Volunteer Firemen's Association Reputation Management Committee, an active member of the ResponderSafety.com outreach team and the Fire Corps State Advocate for Ohio. She is currently pursuing a doctor of business administration with a specialty in homeland security and holds a master's degree in organizational leadership, a bachelor's in business administration, and associate's in health and human services.