Volunteer Firefighters Phased Out In Riverside County

The Riverside County Board of Supervisors today approved two ordinances that will phase out the county’s volunteer firefighting brigade and fold it into a reserve force with stricter standards.

“This fits into the picture of where the fire department is today,” said county fire Chief John Hawkins. “We want to have a combination of career and volunteer reserve firefighters to handle the depth of catastrophic emergency this county’s going to face.”

The California Department of Forestry — Cal Fire — sought the ordinances out of concern that volunteer units were too often operating independently of full-time crews, creating confusion and potentially exposing the county to liability. The county has contracted with Cal Fire for public safety services since 1946.

More than 350 volunteer firefighters serve in unincorporated communities and cities throughout the county, donating their time to battle wildfires and respond to other emergencies, according to the Riverside County Volunteer Firefighters’ Association.

Cal Fire proposed a “Volunteer Reserve Firefighter Program” over the summer and drafted two ordinances — 903 and 904.

The first ordinance empowers the Board of Supervisors to decide whether volunteer fire companies are needed and, if so, which ones. If an existing unit is found to be unnecessary, it will be phased out in six months. No new volunteer units will be formed without the express consent of the board.

The second measure formally establishes a reserve firefighter program, similar to Orange County’s. Under the new framework, volunteers will be required to undergo background checks, routine medical exams and standardized training.

“Given the increased level of service provided by the fire department, the need for volunteer fire companies has been substantially diminished,” Cal Fire stated in an introduction to the ordinances.

“In addition, it has become highly problematic that over 60 volunteer fire companies are operating outside the organizational structure of the fire department.”

In September, Tim Young, vice chairman of the volunteer association, called the dissolution plan “fiscally irresponsible,” arguing that volunteers supplemented active-duty personnel, received similar training, bought and maintained most of their own equipment and deferred to Cal Fire at emergencies.

According to Cal Fire officials, since the ordinances were first proposed, the agency and volunteers have come to an understanding.

At their Nov. 9 meeting, the supervisors all expressed appreciation for the volunteers but agreed with Hawkins that to ensure uniformity, a reserve program was necessary.

During today’s board meeting, Hawkins acknowledged that planned personnel cuts and possible station closures would make the volunteer reserve force all the more vital.

Hawkins said many of the existing volunteer units will be absorbed into the reserve program.