Today’s Volunteer Fire Service and Reaching Our Youth and Community

by Thomas Minnick

Have you ever considered being a part of something that is bigger than any of us? Something that makes a true difference in our community and people’s lives.

Being a member of Guardian Hose Company is not just about answering emergency calls and participating in fundraising events; it is about being a part of something bigger than yourself. Every alarm we respond to is a chance to make a real difference in our community and neighboring communities; it’s a chance to protect lives and property and stand shoulder to shoulder with a team that feels like family. The feeling of rushing to help in someone’s greatest moment of need, the pride of mastering lifesaving skills, and the fulfillment of knowing you are making your neighborhood/community safer, all combined into an experience unlike any other. At Guardian Hose Company, you do not just volunteer, you grow, you lead, and you become a protector in your own community. Every day brings new challenges, new lessons, and the deep satisfaction that comes from serving with courage, compassion, and pride.

While some local departments continue to grow rapidly with young volunteers, the overall trend is that the volunteer fire service is shrinking as a whole. In the early 2000s, we saw a minor decline in riding members. Nonetheless, we were still decently staffing most rigs for a majority of calls. If we look at the recorded statistics 21 years ago (2005), there were approximately 832,000 volunteer firefighters in the United States. Ten years ago, that number was 814,000. Five years ago, that number dropped to 677,000. So, in the past 10 years alone, we have lost 130,000 volunteer firefighters in the United States, and the numbers aren’t getting better.

As we move forward, the volunteer fire service has seen many changes and challenges. The standards for being a firefighter/EMT in 2026 are much different than the early 90s and 2000s.

The one thing we must ask ourselves is: What can we do to reverse this trend? I believe all hope is not lost. And the better news is that with some dedication and catching the younger generations, I think the volunteer fire service can trend in a positive direction of growth with programs like junior firefighters and overall general membership recruitment. I believe that to have successful recruitment and retention as a department, you need to have a presence in your community at events, by running ads, through open houses, on social media posts, and by getting out and visiting our youth in schools. It is easier to catch the attention of middle and high school students when they have a better understanding of what we do.

Guardian Hose Company responds to approximately 600-700 calls of service each year, and covers about 47-plus square miles of the Catoctin Mountains. The challenge is clear that times have changed. Our world is busy; people are busy. They have multiple jobs and families, leaving minimal time to volunteer or take the required training to become a firefighter/EMT.

We are always looking for volunteer firefighters/EMTs and Social Members who simply want to help with fundraising activities throughout the year. To join, you must be 14-16 years old for our Juniors Program and 16-plus years old for Active Emergency Operations and Social Membership. I am making a valiant effort as the Membership Chairman of Guardian Hose Company to rejuvenate our junior program and to get more of our town’s younger generation involved in the department. We will provide everything for you. All the training is provided under the University of Maryland Fire Rescue. You will get all the gear needed and, most of all, the camaraderie to last a lifetime. We are currently reimplementing our junior program to allow 14-16-year-olds to get an early start at what firefighting may entail, from monthly hands-on training to classroom review and history lessons.

Being a father and sharing my passion for the fire service with my son, Colton, who is a Junior Member of our department, is something special to me. I get to pass everything I have learned down to him and watch him fill my boots. Our department is filled with many generations of families—fathers, sons, daughters, husbands, and wives—with some of those members having 50-plus years of service and still volunteering today. I believe rebuilding our volunteer membership and our junior program to further our volunteer organization for years to come is important. Equally important is remembering our past and present generations who got the department to where it is today. I love this department; it’s my home. I love the service of helping others in this community and the surrounding area. Even on their worst day imaginable, I want our town to know we are coming, and they can count on the volunteers and career staff of Guardian Hose Company. Our doors are always open to show the kids the trucks or just to provide our community members with an understanding of our day-to-day operations.

Are you interested in becoming a member? Email Membershipghc10@gmail.com or stop by Guardian Hose Company at 21 North Church Street in Thurmont and pick up an application. You can also schedule a tour to meet with our Membership Committee. View the advertisement on page 5.