As membership has been trending downward, fire companies throughout the state are working to find new ways to fill the largely volunteer fire service. Recognition of dwindling participation prompted the General Assembly to create the Volunteer Firefighter Recruitment & Retention Task Force in 2019. The group, comprised of elected officials, firefighters and associated state government employees, met five times and released a report June 3. The task force noted that in Delaware, 57% of fire departments are mostly made up of volunteers and more than 40% are all-volunteer.
- I’m just going to say it: most of these recommendations are ridiculous. If police and EMTs are important enough for society to pay those members a salary to do the job full-time, then we can do the same for firefighters. — Benjamin Black
- Sounds great, I wonder what the tax increase would be to start paying all firefighters? — Bob Hice
- Doesn’t really matter. If it’s important, you make it a priority. — Benjamin Black
- $10.34 for every $1,000 assessed property value annually if we went paid statewide. The state auditor’s report on this can be found online. — Theresa Taylor
- Check to see what the property value assessment actually is. The amount that I am assessed for my property is less than half of not just what I paid in 2003, but way less than half of current market property value (low end) estimates. The legislature has been spineless and has long "kicked the can down the road" on doing a statewide property reassessment. From my experience and observations, what the fire service and task force are doing is fitting the definition of insanity, in that this is just a continuation of doing the same thing over and over — throwing money at things based on what DVFA says, not addressing other aspects that should be considered — and expecting different results. It is long overdue that actual leaders like Chiefs Bundek and Wilson are not only suggesting options but are part of making necessary changes to the fire service statewide. The fire service in New Castle County has adjusted how they operate to provide better service. Kent and Sussex seem to be lagging a bit behind. The "we've always done it that way" logic comes to mind and seems to have placed blinders on the fire service and its leaders. The days of 60+ individual "kingdoms" have passed, and there needs to be an evolution so things are better suited for the 21st century and the changes and challenges that are now front and center. — Brian P Slattery
