Chief Al Yancey, Vice Chair of the IAFC Volunteer and Combination Officers Section (VCOS), met with the Executive Committee of the National Volunteer Fire Council (NVFC) on June 19 during the NVFC Training Summit in Salt Lake City, UT, to discuss how the organizations can work together to achieve shared priorities. The discussion centered on opportunities for the NVFC and VCOS to speak with “One Voice” and continued partnership in the advancement of the volunteer and combination fire service.
“We are stronger together, working together to improve legislation, working conditions, and training opportunities for our volunteer firefighters,” said Yancey.
“Volunteer and combination departments make up the majority of the U.S. fire service, and we must work together to achieve shared goals that support our nation’s responders,” said NVFC Chair Steve Hirsch.
One area of considerable discussion was how to help volunteer fire departments that are considering the transition to a combination department with some paid staff. Moving to a combination service is not the right answer for all departments, and the NVFC provides resources, tools, and expertise to help volunteer departments improve internal systems and enhance recruitment and retention. For volunteer departments that identify the need to transition to a combination, VCOS provides resources to help them start in the right direction and be successful in their transition. NVFC and VCOS will work together to address the question of when and how to transition from all volunteers to a combination. The organizations are also collaborating to update the VCOS Red Ribbon Report on transitioning to a combination department.
With leadership being the cornerstone of a fire department’s success, the NVFC and VCOS are looking at ways they can work together to improve the critical thinking skills of fire service leaders and market programs that exist to foster this skill. VCOS launched the Critical Thinking Academy in 2025, and the NVFC has a Leadership Track in its Virtual Classroom to help develop leadership skills.
The NVFC and VCOS are committed to ongoing dialogue and increased collaboration on projects benefiting the volunteer and combination fire service. It is of great benefit for the organizations to work in concert with each other and maintain a unified front in emerging issues such as federal funding for fire prevention and protection, wildland-urban interface, the future of FEMA, OSHA rules, and many other critical issues of great importance to all the fire service – volunteer, combination, and career.