Status Update:
The fiscal conditions of the state and a weakened economy combined with $21m fiscal note resulted in no action taken.
Background
A July 2006 survey conducted by the state fire marshal indicates there are approximately 34,000 firefighters in Tennessee. Of these, 7,073, or about 21 percent, are full-time, career firefighters, while the remaining 26,900 firefighters in the state are either part-time or volunteers. A majority, but certainly not all, full time career firefighters in Tennessee currently receive supplemental training incentive pay from the State of Tennessee. Full-time career firefighters continue to draw their full salary during training while also receiving an additional $450 per year for completing this training. Under current law, part-time and volunteer firefighters are not eligible to participate in this training incentive pay program. Moreover, volunteer firefighters must take time off from their regular jobs and may have to surrender some of their regular wages or vacation time to attend training. This may explain why only 4,000 of Tennessee's 26,900 part-time and volunteer firefighters have received certification, according to records from the Tennessee Commission on Firefighting Personnel Standards and Education. Perhaps even more troubling is that with an attrition rate of 20% per year among volunteer firefighters and with recruitment efforts not keeping pace with the loss due to attrition, the volunteer ranks have seen a net loss of 15% over the last 10 years, according to the National Volunteer Fire Council. Consequently, it is estimated that only 2,500 of the 4,000 part-time and volunteer firefighters that have received certification are currently serving with a fire department in Tennessee. Problems The State of Tennessee has the second highest death rate from fire in the United States. Many have suggested there is a direct correlation between the death rate from fire and the fact that a very large percentage of Tennessee firefighters are either untrained or under-trained. Yet, the State of Tennessee provides no incentive to volunteer and part-time firefighters to train. In the event of a catastrophic experience in Tennessee, man-made or natural, current response scenarios assume a significant mobilization of volunteer, part-time and career firefighters in response to such disasters. Most of these volunteer and part-time firefighters and a small percentage of career firefighters have not received sufficient training in the basic skills necessary to perform under the everyday conditions that exist in their home communities; much less the skills required during a major disaster.
Proposed Remedy
TML, along with the Tennessee Fire Chiefs Association, is seeking approval of legislation that provides for training incentive pay for all firefighters in Tennessee. The legislation would make career, part-time and volunteer members of fire departments eligible to receive an initial supplemental training incentive payment of up to $1,000. In addition, the legislation provides career, part-time and volunteer firefighters eligible to receive state-funded supplemental payments of $1,000 at the following significant training intervals: * Upon certification as a FF1 * Upon certification as a FF2 * Upon certification as an Apparatus Operator * Upon certification as an Instructor * Upon certification as a Fire Officer 1
Anticipated Benefits to Municipalities
There is an expectation that when a career firefighter is hired, the employer should provide that individual with at least the basic skills needed to perform their job. Similar expectations are present for volunteer firefighters but there is no incentive for these individuals to get the necessary training to do their job. These basic training skills are needed to begin reducing the fire death rate in Tennessee. This legislation provides a state funded incentive to allow Tennessee's cities and counties to begin to address the number of untrained and under-trained firefighters by providing training incentive pay that would provide volunteer firefighters the same incentive to train as is provided career firefighters.
