The Blawnox Volunteer Fire Company (VFC), alongside O’Hara Township’s Pleasant Valley and Parkview Volunteer Fire Companies, received a federal SAFER (Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response) Grant to support a a new four-year Volunteer Fire Recruitment and Training Program.

 

The number of Volunteer Firefighters in the U.S. reached a historic low in 2020, declining nearly 20% since 1986, while call volumes have tripled over the past 35 years, largely due to the rise in emergency medical calls. In Pennsylvania, Volunteer Fire and Rescue Personnel make up over 96% of firefighters and EMTs, compared to the national average of 70%. State fire officials estimate that Volunteer Firefighters save Pennsylvania communities around $10 billion annually.

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Serving as a Volunteer Firefighter is an important and demanding job that saves communities hundreds of thousands of dollars. In the current economic climate, it is difficult to recruit and retain good volunteers to perform this work. The SAFER Grant funding will go a long way to increase staffing for the region’s fire and rescue services.

For more information about the Blawnox Volunteer Fire Company please contact Mike Yonas at myonas@blawnoxvfc.com.