Volunteers are the backbone of U.S. fire protection.
In thousands of towns, volunteer firefighters leave dinner tables, classrooms, and job sites to respond to emergencies—most of which are medical in nature today.
Below is a data-rich, up-to-date guide to what volunteers do, how many there are, what it takes to serve, and why their contribution matters now more than ever.
How Many Volunteers Are There—And Where Do They Serve?
- Volunteers make up about 65% of U.S. firefighters (roughly 676,900 out of 1,041,200 firefighters in the latest complete NFPA profile year).
- The majority of U.S. fire departments are volunteer or mostly volunteer: of 29,452 departments, 18,873 are all-volunteer and 5,335 are mostly volunteer (82% combined), yet these departments protect about 30% of the population (career/mostly career protect ~70%).
- Volunteers overwhelmingly serve small communities: 95% are in departments protecting fewer than 25,000 residents; nearly half (48%) serve areas under 2,500 people.
What Do Volunteer Firefighters Actually Respond To?
Modern fire departments are all-hazards agencies.
In 2020 (the most recent national run profile), departments handled 26.96 million incident runs reported to NFIRS.
EMS and rescue calls made up 64% of all runs, while fires accounted for just 4% (the rest were good-intent calls, false alarms, service calls, etc.).
That shift explains why volunteers are trained not only for structure fires and wildland incidents, but also medical emergencies, vehicle collisions, hazardous materials, water rescue, and severe weather response.
Training, Time, And Costs: What It Takes To Serve
- Training standards. Many states require volunteers to meet NFPA 1001 Firefighter Professional Qualifications, the same standard used for career firefighters.
- Hours vary by state, but initial training can exceed 240 hours in some jurisdictions; others run shorter entry modules with additional progression later. There is no single national time requirement—but the commitment includes ongoing drills, fundraising, maintenance, and administrative duties.
- Equipment & training aren’t cheap. The cost to train and equip one firefighter can exceed $20,000, and a new pumper can approach or exceed $1 million—costs that are especially hard on small, rural departments.
Why Volunteers Matter Economically
Local governments save an estimated $46.9 billion every year thanks to the time donated by volunteer firefighters—savings that make fire protection feasible in small communities that could not support fully career staffing.
The Challenge: Declining Ranks, Rising Demand
- Volunteer numbers hit a modern low in 2020, even as service demands increased. Call volume has more than tripled in 35 years, fueled largely by EMS growth. Departments cite time demands, training requirements, and two-income households as key obstacles to recruitment and retention.
- The force is aging: smaller communities now have a higher share of members 50+, reflecting difficulty attracting younger volunteers.
- Women make up about 9% of firefighters nationwide (2020 estimate), with ~72,400 female volunteers.
Safety, Health, And The Changing Risk Profile
Beyond fireground hazards, volunteers face cardiac risks, behavioral health challenges, and post-incident exposures.
In 2021, 141 firefighters died in the line of duty—55 were volunteers.
Exposure (notably COVID-19 at the time) and stress/overexertion were leading causes, underscoring the need for wellness programs, cancer prevention, and fitness initiatives across volunteer ranks.
Funding Lifelines And Recent Policy Wins (2024–2025)
- Congress reauthorized the Assistance to Firefighters Grant (AFG), SAFER, and the U.S. Fire Administration through September 30, 2028, preserving critical pipelines for equipment, training, and staffing support.
- National partners are stepping up: for example, in 2024 the State Farm Good Neighbor Firefighter Safety Program awarded $1 million in equipment grants to 100 volunteer departments, and companies regularly donate turnout gear, helmets, water, and scholarships through NVFC partnerships.
- Even so, grant demand far exceeds supply; federal applications outstrip available AFG/SAFER funds by billions, leaving a sizable unmet need in small, rural departments.
How to become a volunteer (and other ways to serve)
- Use NVFC’s Make Me A Firefighter™ portal to find openings nearby; most departments provide training pathways for new members.
- Not ready for interior attack? Consider Fire Corps™ roles in public education, logistics, administration, fundraising, rehab, or pre-plans—crucial support that frees operations crews.
- Teens can explore the National Junior Firefighter Program to build skills and a service mindset early.
Snapshot: Volunteer Fire Service At a Glance (2024–2025)
| Metric | Latest Figure | What It Means |
|---|---|---|
| Share of U.S. firefighters who are volunteers | ~65% (676,900 of 1,041,200) | Most firefighters serve without pay; essential in small-town America. |
| U.S. fire departments by type | 18,873 all-volunteer; 5,335 mostly volunteer; 2,459 mostly career; 2,785 all career (29,452 total) | 82% of departments are volunteer/mostly volunteer; they protect ~30% of population. |
| Where volunteers serve | 95% in communities of <25,000; 48% in <2,500 | Volunteers cover America’s smallest and most rural places. |
| Run profile (2020) | 26.96M runs; 64% EMS/rescue; 4% fires | Fire departments are now predominantly medical and rescue responders. |
| Annual economic savings from volunteering | ~$46.9B | What localities save by not paying full-time staff. |
| Training & equipment cost per firefighter | Often >$20,000 | High cost burden, especially in small departments. |
| Federal lifelines | AFG/SAFER reauthorized through 9/30/2028 | Sustains grants for staffing, gear, training, and safety. |
Why This Matters To Every Homeowner And Business
Even if your city has career crews, mutual-aid webs mean volunteers may still be the ones arriving when severe weather spawns multiple incidents or when wildfires threaten the wildland-urban interface.
And where resources are thin, a robust volunteer department can save minutes—and lives—by responding from within the community.
Meanwhile, America’s fire burden remains high: in 2022 there were an estimated 1.5 million fires, 3,790 civilian deaths, 13,250 injuries, and $18 billion in losses—evidence that prevention, staffing, and reliable response still matter.
Volunteer firefighters are America’s quiet constant—neighbors who train to professional standards, respond predominantly to medical emergencies, and anchor community resilience during everyday crises and regional disasters.
The data show their value—both human and economic—and also the urgency: rising call volumes, aging rosters, and tight budgets put pressure on a model that protects much of small-town America.
Whether you can carry a hose line, teach a home-fire-safety class, or help write a grant, there’s a role for you.
Stronger recruitment, sustained grant funding, and community support will keep this indispensable public-safety network strong.
