Here’s how California can better support rural volunteer firefighters | Opinion

Volunteer fire departments are the quiet guardians of rural California, answering every call with grit, heart and unwavering dedication, often at great personal sacrifice and without expectation of recognition or reward. These essential community lifelines are facing escalating challenges that threaten our collective safety and demand urgent and thoughtful policy solutions.

Supporting rural volunteer fire departments is not simply a professional obligation for me, it’s deeply personal. My grandfather, father and husband have all served as volunteer firefighters. I know what it means when the pager goes off in the middle of dinner or when a holiday is cut short by a call for help. I’ve witnessed firsthand the selfless dedication that defines our rural volunteers.

But that dedication is under increasing strain: Volunteers are responding to more calls than ever before — a staggering 2,688 total calls across Glenn County in 2024 alone. This call volume continues to rise with population growth, yet infrastructure and staffing have not kept pace. Glenn County’s 11 volunteer fire departments are staffed by a total of just 231 active volunteers, with some departments operating with as few as 11 active members. Many of these volunteers balance emergency response with full-time jobs, family commitments and other community roles. This data, provided by the Orland Fire Department, highlights the significant demands placed on our local departments.

These challenges are made worse by top-down state regulations that create unnecessary financial burdens for our volunteer fire departments. While personal protective equipment (PPE) is critical for firefighter safety, state mandates require gear replacement on strict, expensive timelines — regardless of how often it’s used or its condition.

According to the Orland Fire Department, outfitting a single firefighter costs an average of $11,000 — an expense that is simply unaffordable for departments reliant on limited property taxes, special assessments and grassroots fundraising. These state-mandated PPE costs divert scarce resources away from other essential priorities, including training, apparatus maintenance and equipment upgrades. The result is an inequitable system — one that ignores the operational realities of rural fire service and diverts precious resources from where they are needed most.

Recognizing these realities — and the lack of comprehensive academic research into the challenges facing rural volunteer fire departments — the Rural Advancement Institute has partnered with UC Santa Barbara to gather statewide data with the goal of equipping policymakers with the information needed to craft effective, realistic solutions.

This one-size-fits-all approach, designed for large urban agencies, places a disproportionate financial strain on rural, volunteer-led departments. It’s time for a smarter, more flexible approach. Policymakers should allow gear replacement schedules to be based on actual wear, scientific safety assessments and real-world use — not arbitrary expiration dates.

Extending the mandated lifespan of gear that remains safe and functional would ease unnecessary financial pressures, while preserving firefighter readiness and protection.

Assembly Bill 589, authored by Assembly Minority Leader James Gallagher, recognized this need and sought to correct it. The bill, which will be heard next year, seeks to prohibit California’s Occupational Safety and Health Standards Board from requiring PPE to be replaced more frequently than every 15 years unless the gear is deemed unsafe due to damage, hazardous exposure or the presence of substances like Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl substances.

This legislation offers a balanced, science-driven solution that I strongly support. For rural departments, this kind of flexibility could mean the difference between staying operational and sacrificing funding for vital training, vehicle maintenance and emergency response.

This type of legislation will help ensure that rural departments can stretch limited resources while continuing to protect our communities with the same level of commitment and professionalism they have always shown.

At a time when the threat of wildfires is ever-present and increases with each passing year, we cannot risk losing this irreplaceable lifeline. Through meaningful reform and sustained support, we can ensure our volunteer firefighters have the tools, flexibility and recognition they need to continue protecting our communities.

Glenn County Supervisor Monica Rossman represents District 2.