Volunteer fire departments across the country are facing a well-documented challenge.

Recruitment is down.
Response demands are increasing.
Fewer people are willing or able to commit to the traditional expectations of volunteer service.

There is no question—this is a real staffing crisis.

And when the conversation turns to Community Risk Reduction (CRR), the response is often the same:

“We just don’t have the people for that.”

It’s a valid concern for the volunteer fire department CRR efforts.

But it may not be the full picture.

Because what if the issue isn’t just that we don’t have enough people…

What if it’s that we’re only looking for one type of person?

We Built the System Around One Role

For generations, volunteer fire departments have been built around a single expectation:

Emergency response.

We recruit people who are willing to:

  • leave their families at all hours

  • meet physical and training demands

  • operate in high-risk environments

  • commit significant time to readiness

That role is essential. It always will be.

But it is also very specific.

And by defining “volunteer firefighter” this way, we’ve unintentionally limited our recruitment pipeline to a small portion of the community.

The People We’re Not Reaching

In nearly every community, there are people who want to help their fire department.

They care about safety.
They want to contribute.
They want to serve.

But they don’t volunteer.

Not because they don’t care.

Because they don’t see a place for themselves.

They may not want to respond to calls.
They may not be physically able.
They may not have schedules that allow it.

So they never raise their hand.

And in doing so, we may be overlooking one of the largest untapped resources available to the fire service.

CRR Doesn’t Require a Fire Engine

Community Risk Reduction is built on:

  • education

  • outreach

  • relationship-building

  • hazard identification

  • data and awareness

  • behavior change

These are critical functions.

And most of them do not require:

  • turnout gear

  • lights and sirens

  • responding to emergencies

Yet many departments continue to treat CRR as something that must be done by the same limited group of response volunteers, restricting volunteer fire department CRR.

The Real Problem Isn’t Just Staffing

When departments say they don’t have enough people for CRR, what they often mean is:

“We don’t have enough responders to also do CRR.”

Those are not the same problem.

CRR doesn’t require more responders.

It requires more people engaged in the mission of reducing risk. These people may be volunteers who won’t opt for emergency or fire response roles, but would willingly do volunteer fire department CRR.

Expanding the Definition of a Volunteer Firefighter

What if we expanded the role?

Not to replace response volunteers.

But to strengthen the department as a whole.

A volunteer fire department doesn’t just need people willing to run into burning buildings.

It also needs people willing to help prevent the next one.

Departments could create meaningful CRR roles such as:

  • home safety and smoke alarm teams

  • fall prevention outreach

  • school and community education

  • business engagement support

  • data collection and risk identification

  • community event staffing

These individuals may never ride an engine.

But their impact on community safety can be significant.

CRR as a Recruitment Strategy

Expanding the definition of a volunteer firefighter doesn’t just increase CRR capacity.

It can also strengthen response recruitment.

When departments create opportunities for people to engage through CRR, they open the door to individuals who may have never considered joining the fire service.

Those individuals gain exposure.

They build relationships.

They become part of the culture.

And over time, something begins to shift.

What once felt out of reach may begin to feel possible.

“I could never do that” becomes:

“Maybe I could.”

Just as importantly, these volunteers bring others with them.

Family members.
Friends.
Coworkers.

People who previously had no connection to the fire service are now exposed to it.

Interest grows where none existed before.

Recruitment expands beyond the traditional pipeline.

This doesn’t solve the staffing crisis overnight.

But it creates something many departments are missing:

A broader, more accessible entry point into the fire service.

This Isn’t a New Concept—We Just Haven’t Applied It to CRR

Volunteer departments already rely on:

  • auxiliary groups

  • rehab teams

  • administrative support

  • community partners

We’ve always understood that not every role requires emergency response.

We just haven’t fully applied that thinking to Community Risk Reduction.

What Happens If We Get This Right

Departments that expand their volunteer model may find:

  • increased community engagement

  • stronger public trust

  • expanded CRR capacity

  • improved recruitment pipelines

  • reduced risk across the community

And perhaps most importantly:

A stronger connection between the fire department and the people it serves.

The Bottom Line

The volunteer staffing crisis is real.

But the solution may not be found solely by trying to recruit more responders.

It may come from rethinking how people can serve.

Because not every volunteer has to ride the engine.

Some can help prevent the next call.

And in doing so, they may help build the next generation of firefighters as well.

Brent Faulkner, MAM, FO, is the CEO and Founder of Virtual CRR Inc.
A retired Battalion Chief from Anaheim Fire & Rescue, Brent brings 28 years of fire service experience, including leadership in structure fires, wildland operations, hazardous materials response, EMS incidents, and specialized rescue operations. He also served 17 years on a Type 1 Hazardous Materials Response Team.

A defining moment in Brent’s career came while leading Critical Infrastructure Protection (CIP) efforts at a DHS-recognized Terrorism Fusion Center. There, he oversaw initiatives to safeguard critical infrastructure from terrorism, natural disasters, and emerging threats — an experience that shaped his passion for Community Risk Reduction and ultimately led to the creation of Virtual CRR.

Brent holds a Master’s Degree in Management, a Bachelor’s in Occupational Studies, and Associate Degrees in Hazardous Materials Response and Fire Science.