"It's a union issue, pure and simple," the chief of a volunteer department said last week.

As a volunteer department, they train cadets and adults to provide service to the community.

It is an all volunteer department as it has been for over one hundred years.

Volunteer departments are necessary for areas that cannot afford to staff a full-time department.

She asked him if he wanted to go to the volunteer department, where donated clothing awaited.

In recent years, maintaining membership is perhaps the primary concern of volunteer departments.

The department, like all volunteer departments, relies on the citizens of its town for donations and more.

Years ago, the volunteer department financed its two firehouses and six trucks.

These quarters were constructed in 1872 in the days of the volunteer department.

Blue-collar employees have traditionally been the heart of volunteer departments in many communities.

The department is a fully volunteer department with approximately 50 volunteers.

His organization represents mostly volunteers but there are also some combination paid and volunteer departments in the association.

Several calls to Timothy Keenan, chief of the volunteer department, were not returned.

In some cases, the volunteer departments also have equipment particularly suited to their communities, like trucks that can drive on beaches.

Several hundred firefighters from 20 volunteer departments on the Island fought the fires at their peak.

In 1891, the volunteer department was disbanded as the city grew and the need for a full-time force of career firefighters became evident.

However, there is a possibility that more firefighters may arrive at an incident with a volunteer department, as compared to paid departments.

In 1945 the volunteer department bagan providing limited services to rual communities.

In recent years, however, most calls have gone to the city department, though the volunteer department is still closer to most parts of the neighborhood.

Alternatively, they can be firefighters who do not perform interior operations, as is the case with most volunteer departments.

"There's very little control with the volunteer departments.

Veron is better prepared than most volunteer departments.

On Long Island, some volunteer departments are skeptical about or opposed to controlled burning.

"The career firefighters and the separate volunteer department of about 45 members shared the same fire house until they were merged in 1989," the chief said.

The firefighter's company finds a volunteer department willing to lend one of its trucks for use as a caisson.