Dewine press release masthead newest
*FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:*
August 16, 2024
*MEDIA CONTACTS:
*Dan Tierney: 614-644-0957
Lauren Niner: 614-644-0957
*Governor DeWine Announces Statewide
Awareness Campaign **to Encourage Ohioans to
Consider Serving as Volunteer Firefighters*
(COLUMBUS, Ohio)—Ohio Governor Mike DeWine joined Ohio Department of Commerce Director Sherry Maxfield and State Fire Marshal Kevin Reardon today at the Division of State Fire Marshal’s campus to announce a statewide Public Service Announcement (PSA) campaign to raise awareness for Ohio's need for volunteer firefighters.
Gov DeWine VFFPC
“Many Ohio communities rely on volunteer firefighters to keep them and their families safe every day,” said Governor DeWine. “As volunteer numbers decrease, Ohioans are increasingly at risk, which is why it so important to spread awareness for Ohio’s need. We hope to encourage everyday Ohioans to become extraordinary heroes by serving their communities as volunteer firefighters.”
In 2022, Governor DeWine created [ [link removed] ] the Volunteer Fire Service Task Force, a group consisting of volunteer fire departments, municipalities, and state agencies, to study and improve the future sustainability of volunteer fire services in Ohio. The deployment of the PSA campaign is the latest fulfilled recommendation identified in the Task Force's 31-page report. [ [link removed] ]
Starting today, two 30-second PSAs will appear on televisions across the state along with ads on various digital platforms, including social media. The PSAs feature current Ohio volunteer firefighters sharing why they choose to serve encouraging Ohioans to consider becoming a volunteer firefighter themselves.
Individuals can visit MakeMeAFirefighter.org [ [link removed] ] and search for volunteer firefighter opportunities in, or near, their communities. Users can then click on a specific position, read details about the role, and express their interest. Currently, there are nearly 400 open positions across Ohio listed on the website.
Approximately 70% of fire departments in Ohio are volunteer. While the number of emergency calls is increasing across the state, the number of volunteer firefighters is decreasing. From 2018 to 2021, there was a 6.5% decrease in the number of volunteer firefighters; meanwhile, from 2018 to 2020, there was a 9% increase in calls.
The nation is experiencing a similar trend. According to the National Volunteer Fire Council [ [link removed] ], approximately 65% of the country’s estimated 1,041,200 firefighters are volunteers, and 64% of 29,452 fire departments in the U.S. are all-volunteer. In 2020, the number of volunteer firefighters in the U.S. reached a low while call volume has more than tripled in the last 35 years.
“Many Ohioans underestimate or simply aren’t aware of the critical role that volunteer firefighters play in our daily lives,” said Ohio Fire Marshal Kevin Reardon. “There is no question that volunteers are a key component in our ability to maintain a strong, robust and responsive fire service across the state. These are men and women who, despite working full-time jobs, have made the decision to step up and serve their communities and neighbors, often on what could be considered the worst days of their lives. The trend we’re seeing at this moment in Ohio is unsustainable, which is why now is the time for Ohioans to step up and become the hometown heroes our communities desperately need.”
In addition to the new awareness campaign, the Division of State Fire Marshal has made strides toward fulfilling other recommendations from the Task Force, including making training classes at the State Fire Marshal’s Ohio Fire Academy 100% free for volunteer firefighters and volunteer fire departments, increasing fire department grant funding to $7.5 million, and hiring a volunteer service coordinator to support the needs of Ohio’s volunteer fire service.
________________________________________________________________________
*Downloadable Media
*To download the PSAs, click the links below, then click the three vertical dots in the bottom right-hand part of the screen, then select “download.”
*Make Me A Firefighter Ohio: PSA 1* [ [link removed] ]
*Find the Firefighter in You: PSA 2* [ [link removed] ]
________________________________________________________________________
*Additional Media Contact:
**Ohio Department of Commerce*
Tom Brockman, Deputy Chief Communications Officer
614-671-7699
[email protected]
*-30-*
________________________________________________________________________
STAY CONNECTED: Visit us on Facebook [ [link removed] ] Visit us on Twitter [ [link removed] ] Visit us on YouTube [ [link removed] ] Visit us on Instagram [ [link removed] ]
SUBSCRIBER SERVICES:
Governor.Ohio.gov [ [link removed] ] | Unsubscribe [ [link removed] ] | Help [ [link removed] ]
Bookmark and Share [ [link removed] ]
________________________________________________________________________
This email was sent to
[email protected] using govDelivery Communications Cloud on behalf of: Governor DeWine Communications · Riffe Center, 30th Floor, 77 South High Street · Columbus, OH 43215-6117 GovDelivery logo [ [link removed] ]
