
                         Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: SATURDAY, December 11, 1993                   TAG: 9312110186
SECTION: VIRGINIA                    PAGE: B-3   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: DAVID M. POOLE STAFF WRITER
DATELINE:                                 LENGTH: Short

STUDY: BETTER FIRE TRAINING FOR VOLUNTEERS

Roanoke County could improve morale within its Fire and Rescue Department by ending the disparity in training standards for paid and volunteer firefighters, according to recommendations contained in a Virginia Tech study released Friday.

But Chief Tommy Fuqua said there are good reasons why volunteers do not have to meet all of the qualifications expected of paid firefighters.

Fuqua said there are other ways, such as improving communication within the department, to draw paid and volunteer firefighters closer together.

"We can tear down the barriers that have been put out there," he said.

Training standards - as well as many other recommendations - were contained in a report by students at the Center for Public Administration and Policy at Virginia Tech.

Students interviewed more than 120 people within the department and found a "striking" lack of communication between paid firefighters, who staff stations during weekdays, and volunteers, who are on call during nights and weekends.

One solution, the report said, would be to end the distinction between the two groups by giving them consistent training and performance standards.

Fuqua responded that it would be difficult to expect volunteers, who are donating their time and effort, to match the training of paid firefighters.

Fuqua said his department would work to implement other suggestions contained in the Virginia Tech study. Those include:

Streamlining of the volunteer application process.

Creation of management-firefighter teams to improve communication on budget and policy decisions.

by CNB