By Barbara Augsdorfer, Editor for the Effingham Herald

The six remaining volunteer firefighters for the City of Rincon knew that their days were numbered. They had already been informed that the city was discontinuing the volunteer firefighter program at the end of 2024.

But in late May, each of them received a certified letter from the city basically saying their services are no longer needed, and they had to turn in their equipment and gear before the end of the month.

Collectively, the men were not upset that it happened, but what bothers them is how it happened.

“It could have been handled better,” said Scott Brooks, 52, a ten-year veteran of the volunteer firefighters.

Rincon’s volunteer fire department was formed in 1954. According to US Census data, Rincon’s population was 650 in the mid-1950s and barely over 1,000 in 1960.

A volunteer fire department served the community well in the 20th century and into the early 2000s. According to Chief Lou Reed, all men age 18 to 60 were eligible to serve as volunteer firefighters, if they passed the training.

And Rincon’s population grew. According to the 2020 US Census, Rincon’s population was just under 11,000, and it keeps growing.

“In 2010, they hired a day man at the station backed up by 36 volunteers,” said Gary Kocher, 73, who served as a volunteer firefighter for 36 years. “It would have been 37 in July,” he added. In the years before the 9-1-1 system was started, Kocher said the day man on duty would take the fire truck to wherever the call was and the volunteers would meet him there. If more equipment was needed, one of the volunteers would go to the station to retrieve the necessary equipment.

“If the call was (a) medical (emergency), we’d just meet the truck at the call,” said Keith Jervis, 67, who had 17 years on the volunteer force.

The Hinely Building on Ninth Street and Hwy. 21 was the city’s first fire station. The city started hiring paid firefighters in 2010.

For many years the paid firefighters and the volunteers worked calls in tandem. If all the paid staff were on calls, the volunteers would cover the station for any additional calls that came in. The volunteer firefighters were the ones who did all the “PR stuff”: bringing Santa Claus to events during the holidays, and making appearances at the schools, according to Kocher.

The volunteers would fill in for big events such as last weekend’s Stars and Stripes Celebration. And without the volunteers, the city would end up paying for more staff presence and overtime, according to the volunteers.

“That's just like this weekend. There's the (Stars and Stripes) parade. The volunteers pretty much handled the parade,” said one firefighter who spoke on the condition of anonymity. “The staff that's on shift would be out there, of course, because the city's already paying them. Now you've just cost the city a pile of overtime, to have people come out and do what the volunteers used to do for free.”

The volunteer firefighters completed training and were paid a monthly stipend in relation to the number of calls they responded to and training they attended.

“Two hundred and forty hours a year,” said Kocher. “(240 hours) was the basic standards of training; also, first responders’ training – first aid, CPR, AED training, haz-mat.”

To earn the stipend, volunteer firefighters had to participate in 50% of the drills and make 10% of the calls. The annual stipend was approximately $1,200 depending on the volunteers’ level of service.

“We had guys who couldn’t make it (to calls or drills) because they had to work,” Kocher added. “That was an excused absence.”

While the stipend doesn’t seem to be much, the former volunteer firefighters lost some important benefits when they were told their services were no longer needed.

“If you meet the requirements, you can also be the in the state pension retirement (plan), but it was the cancer policy that these guys lost,” the anonymous caller added.

Kocher and fellow volunteer Keith Jarvis, 67, are both cancer survivors.

 

City Council was not involved

The decision to discontinue the volunteer firefighter program was between Fire Chief Lou Reed and City Manager Jonathan Lynn. The city council was not involved.

“That was a Chief decision. It wasn't a vote,” said Rincon Mayor Pro Tem Kevin Exley.

“I can say that I really appreciate what they've done. I know all of them had the opportunity to come back on as full time,” Exley added. “I like them all. I thought was a great program. I guess we're kind of caught in the middle of needing people full time.”

Exley added that staffing decisions are handled by department heads, generally not city council.

Chief Reed added the decision was not taken lightly. “It was a resource-driven decision with the needs being prioritized for current and future impacts of the fire department,” Chief Reed said. “And having more paid staff on the ground.”

At the city council meeting June 24, Chief Reed introduced the newest member of the Rincon Fire Department, Lydia Carney. The Rincon Fire Department is now fully staffed. “She filled my last vacancy,” Chief Reed added.

“We understand that the volunteer program has been a valued part of our community for many years and we deeply appreciate the dedicated service of all the volunteers,” Chief Reed read from his letter to the volunteers at the June 24 council meeting. “Your commitment has been instrumental in supporting our fire department. And we're grateful for your contributions. We would like to also let everyone know that we will be recognizing the volunteers at our July 8 city council meeting.”