(Iowa City)– Iowa volunteer firefighters could soon have mandatory training standards.
Currently, no such standards are in place…even though more than 80 percent of the state’s 20-thousand firefighters are volunteers.
The State Fire Service and Emergency Response Council is considering a proposal to make firefighter one training mandatory for all fire departments in the state.
Arnolds Park-Okoboji Fire Chief Steve Dulin says the proposal has merit…but he’s concerned it will discourage some people from signing up.
As a result, Dulin says the days of volunteer fire departments are numbered. He goes so far as to predict that within five to 10 years, fire departments in the lakes corridor will merge into one with a paid chief and assistant. Dulin believes with a combined department, there would be enough volunteer firefighters to get by for awhile…but even with a merged department, Dulin said after time the department will be forced to go to a paid system.
As an incentive to keep them on the department, Dulin said the Okoboji-Arnolds Park Fire Department is compensating 12 members of its department for taking the firefighter one course. He says it means the department will have to hold off on some equipment purchases, but in the long run Dulin believes it’ll be worth it to keep the manpower.
