Subcommittee debates easing volunteer firefighter training rules to restore incentive pay participation

A volunteer subcommittee of the state certifying commission met at the Madison County Fire Department to discuss changes to the Volunteer Incentive Program after three years of declining participation among volunteer firefighters.

The discussion focused on how to make the program achievable for small volunteer departments and retain volunteers who are unable or unwilling to complete interior firefighting credentials such as the traditional 16‑hour rapid-entry course and the 64‑hour live‑fire course. Subcommittee members and attendees debated accepting documented department training in lieu of preapproved curriculum, creating a distinct Tennessee volunteer firefighter certificate, removing a cap on hazardous‑materials hours that could count toward the program and using waivers or phased compliance to avoid immediate loss of incentive pay.

Commission members leading the meeting said falling counts in the incentive program prompted the subcommittee. “We wanna really just dive into what things that we knew were coming, but how can we make this better for volunteers,” said a commission member who opened the session. Attendees repeatedly described time constraints at small volunteer departments, limited access to certified instructors and scheduling conflicts that make it difficult for volunteers…