Many of the donations received by the North Madison Volunteer Fire Company are used for the specific purposes of maintaining the firehouse which provides our first responders with a safe place to conduct trainings and drills. While training may not seem like an important component of fire rescue and safety, the American Fire Service attributes improvements in training for fire personnel with a decline in the number of fire related deaths over the last decade. In addition to the fact that many lives can be saved as a result of training there are a wide range of reasons to provide fire training for all fire personnel:

• Training enables firefighters to learn new skills and techniques to make their jobs safer. Firefighters risk their lives to save others. However with the right training some of the risk to fire personnel can be managed.
• Training enables firefighters to respond more efficiently, reducing the property damage caused by fires. This can be essential in situations where fire damage to the community could be substantial.
• Training provides firefighters with needed experience. Volunteer firefighters need this experience in order to be effective in their jobs.
• Training keeps volunteer firefighters active and engaged. Because volunteers typically have full-time careers outside of the firehouse they need training to help them remain engaged and active in the field.

Training serves so many purposes that it is imperative for all firefighters, paid and volunteer. Financial support from the community helps to make training possible strengthening the capabilities of our fire service.

One of the most frequent questions asked by the community is: What is the difference between paid versus unpaid fire departments? The answer is simple: money.

• Paid firefighters are hired by the community and paid a salary for their service.
• Volunteer departments, on the other hand, are comprised of individuals who voluntarily give their time and risk their lives to make the community a better place.
• Volunteer departments do receive some support via tax revenues but also rely on the community to provide them with financial resources that go towards the upkeep of “command central” which houses all of the equipment and apparatus’.

This is why community support of volunteer fire companies is so important. Without the support of the community, volunteer fire companies cannot continue to provide effective fire, rescue, and medical service. This is also why these departments are lucky to have the support of so many dedicated professionals who are willing to give so generously of their time.