Every day, thousands of firefighters respond to emergencies, save lives, and protect communities — yet many are still classified as “volunteers,” receiving little to no compensation for professional‑level work. This outdated system is pushing departments to the breaking point.

It’s time for the law to catch up with reality.

Federal labor laws under the FLSA prevent fair compensation for volunteer firefighters. Aside from minimal reimbursements, departments cannot legally pay firefighters for the time they spend running a fully functional fire department. 

Many rural communities cannot afford to fully staff a fire station around the clock, but does that mean our personnel should work for free? 

Many departments may not sound the pager for several days. As the law is currently worded, the only options are to: Staff a station and pay firefighters to standby at all hours of the day and night, or limit their value to a "fuel reimbursement" that does not cover the cost of fuel in this economy. Volunteer firefighters cannot be paid for their time and labor. This is wrong on so many levels. 

Firefighters today operate under the same standards, risks, and expectations as career departments — but without the protections or compensation.

This outdated model causes a variety of issues: Improper Staffing, Longer response times, Increased community risk, Higher homeowners insurance rates, Burnout, and financial strain on firefighters. 

This is no longer “volunteering.” This is professional emergency service without professional recognition.

Firefighters that respond "off duty" SHOULD be compensated for their time and effort. In fact, many of the volunteers that choose to respond, are full-time paid personnel at other departments. 

The fire service is likely the only profession, where professionally trained and certified personnel are willing to work extra on their day off, without pay, just to help their community. Can you say the same about your job? 

 Benjamin Franklin is widely regarded as the founding father of the volunteer fire service, but even he did not intend for it to follow the direction it has gone. Union Fire Company, established by Benjamin Franklin himself, was a nonprofit "bucket brigade" made up of neighbors, with the purpose of helping each other in the event of an emergency. This was established in the absence of fire protection provided by the government, under a lack of government in the original colonies. 

The fire service evolved, and the volunteer fire service was always intended to provide service to neighbors in the absence of government provided service. Today, it has become a government run, government "provided" service, that relies on unpaid labor. This needs to change. 

In the days of the original "bucket brigades", fire departments relied on community involvement to benefit everyone involved. Everyone pitched in, in the event of an emergency. 

This model has changed. Today's fire service is a well trained and well prepared force, specialized in fire behavior, fire prevention, emergency medical response, hazardous materials response, technical rescue, vehicle extrication, and much more. 

Firefighters are required to complete hundreds of hours of training, and are mandated to complete continuous education programs throughout their career. These training programs are costly, but the government passes this off as "giving back to your community". 

This is no longer giving back to your community, as it was in the days of the original volunteer fire service. This is a  specialized service taken for granted and expected for free. The question is no longer "are you willing to sacrifice your free time to help your neighbors?", it's "are you willing to put your family's needs aside to help someone you've never met, who believes your service is just a hobby?"

Firefighters undergo rigorous training and are subject to intense conditions and numerous hazards that were never present when the fire service originated. Despite going through hundreds of hours of training for a job that firefighters walk into, knowing they may not walk out - the government believes they aren't worth compensating. Their kids aren't worth the food, and their family's time is not respected or appreciated. 

The best way to thank a "volunteer", is by putting a little extra food on his/her table. 

I've personally witnessed volunteer firefighters with their fuel light on, worried about how to pay their water bill, put all their problems aside to help a stranger. The same council that determines that this firefighter's 5 hours of service on Friday night is not worth the compensation, will likely turn their nose up on Monday morning - and shut his water off because he was short on the bill. This should not be a concern. 

We call on Congress and state legislatures to modernize labor laws by:

1. Reclassifying operational firefighters as Paid On‑Call Employees

• Firefighters who meet professional standards should receive fair compensation for their service

2. Establishing federal protections, including:

• Fair pay standards
• Liability and worker protections
• Access to retirement and injury benefits
• Support for training and readiness

3. Funding the transition
Rural and combination departments need federal support to move away from unsustainable volunteer‑only staffing models. In 2023, the US Government paid the salaries of ALL Ukrainian First Responders, but our own aren't worth the same? 

4. Defining true volunteer service (e.g. CERT Teams, Red Cross Volunteers)
Community volunteers should be recognized — but not used to fill essential emergency staffing gaps.

 
Why This Matters:
Emergency response is a core responsibility of government. Communities depend on firefighters during structure fires, medical emergencies, vehicle accidents, natural disasters, and hazardous incidents.

But the system is failing.

As training requirements rise and call volumes increase, volunteer participation is dropping nationwide. Departments are struggling to staff rigs. Response times are growing. Communities are at risk.

Supporting firefighters means supporting public safety.

 
Take Action!
If you believe the people who risk their lives to protect our communities deserve:

• Fair recognition
• Fair compensation
• Legal protections
• Sustainable working conditions

-Please sign and share this petition.

Together, we can modernize the fire service, strengthen public safety, and ensure firefighters receive the respect and protection they’ve earned.

Sign now to support America’s firefighters.