Website seeks to recruit volunteer firefighters in Ohio

The Ohio Fire Marshal's office has launched a new online portal to help local departments find volunteer firefighters as their numbers decline across the state.

The new Volunteer Firefighter Recruitment Portal aims to connect Ohioans with nearby volunteer fire departments by streamlining the inquiry process. Users can enter their contact information and location, and the system sends the inquiry directly to fire chiefs in their area.

About 70% of Ohio's nearly 1,200 fire departments rely on volunteers. However, the number of volunteer firefighters has been falling while the volume of emergency calls has increased. From 2018 to 2021, the number of volunteers decreased by 6.5%, while emergency calls increased by 9% between 2018 and 2020.

The state's trend mirrors a national one. The National Volunteer Fire Council reports that about 65% of the country's firefighters are volunteers. In 2020, the number of volunteer firefighters nationally reached a low point, even as call volume tripled in the previous 35 years.

The new portal builds on past efforts by the Ohio Division of State Fire Marshal to address the shortage. After the 2023 Governor's Volunteer Fire Service Task Force, the division launched two media campaigns that directed people to the National Volunteer Fire Council's "Make Me a Firefighter" website.

During these campaigns, visits to the site from Ohio increased by more than 1,000% from the prior year. Over 14,000 zip code searches were conducted, leading to more than 2,500 actions to contact a local fire department.

"Volunteer fire departments are the backbone of Ohio's fire service," said State Fire Marshal Kevin Reardon. "We hope that this new recruitment portal is a game-changer for them, especially in terms of their ability to engage with and recruit the next generation."

Unlike the national website, the new Ohio-specific portal allows the division to engage with potential volunteers and notify department leadership of interest more directly. In addition to the new portal and awareness campaigns, the division continues to offer free training and classes to volunteer firefighters.