Rural and Volunteer Fire Department Resources

National Volunteer Week

There are fundamental differences in the nature of the rural fire problem compared to the U.S. fire problem as a whole. Additionally, the rural fire service has unique challenges not faced by their counterparts. USFA has developed numerous resources to assist fire departments operating in rural communities. As many rural communities are protected by volunteer fire departments, resources targeted for volunteer fire departments are also incorporated.

Training Opportunities

Arson

Firefighter Arson: Special Report (PDF, 1.6 Mb, Adobe Acrobat PDF Help)

Fire Prevention and Safety

Mitigation of the Rural Fire Problem
Public Fire Education Planning for Rural Communities: A Five-Step Process (PDF, 730 Kb, Adobe Acrobat PDF Help)
Rural Fire Safety Factsheet: Media | Public Information Officers
Factsheets for Rural Residents:

Technical Report Series

Eight Children and Two Adults Die in Rural House Fire (Remer, MN - January 1989) (PDF, 1.4 Mb, Adobe Acrobat PDF Help)
Eight Fatality Row House Fire: Lessons Learned from Residential Fires with Five or More Fatalities (PDF, 880 Kb, Adobe Acrobat PDF Help)
Five Fatality Residential Motel Fire (Thornton, CO - January 1997) (PDF, 598 Kb, Adobe Acrobat PDF Help)
Get Alarmed South Carolina: Lessons Learned from Its Success (PDF, 2.2 Mb, Adobe Acrobat PDF Help)
Nine Fatality Mobile Home Fire (Maxton, NC - November 1989) (PDF, 1.2 Mb, Adobe Acrobat PDF Help)
Seven Fatality Fire at Remote Wilderness Lodge (Grand Marais, MN - July 1991) (PDF, 4.8 Mb, Adobe Acrobat PDF Help)
Shenandoah Retirement Home Fire (Roanoke County, VA - December 1989) (PDF, 999 Kb, Adobe Acrobat PDF Help)
Success Story at Retirement Home Fire (Sterling, VA - December 1989) (PDF, 1.7 Mb, Adobe Acrobat PDF Help)

Fire Protection

Technical Report Series

Firefighter Health and Safety

Emerging Health and Safety Issues in the Volunteer Fire Service (PDF, 1.3 Mb, Adobe Acrobat PDF Help)
Health and Wellness Guide for the Volunteer Fire Service (PDF, 2.1 Mb, Adobe Acrobat PDF Help)
Safe Operations of Fire Tankers (PDF, 2.1 Mb, Adobe Acrobat PDF Help)
Roadway Safety Operations with the Cumberland Valley Volunteer Firemen’s Association
Wildland Firefighting Safety
Technical Report Series

Three Firefighter Fatalities in Training Exercise (Milford, MI - October 1987) (PDF, 1.3 Mb, Adobe Acrobat PDF Help)
Fire Apparatus Train Collision (Catlett, VA - September 1989) (PDF, 790 Kb, Adobe Acrobat PDF Help)
Four Firefighters Killed, Trapped by Floor Collapse (Brackenridge, PA - December 1991) (PDF, 1.6 Mb, Adobe Acrobat PDF Help)
Floor Collapse Claims Two Firefighters (Pittston, PA - March 1993) (PDF, 668 Kb, Adobe Acrobat PDF Help)
Hazards Associated with Agricultural Silo Fires (PDF, 826 Kb, Adobe Acrobat PDF Help)
LP Gas Tank Explosion Kills Two Volunteer Firefighters (Carthage, IL - October 1997) (PDF, 1.9 Mb, Adobe Acrobat PDF Help)
Aerial Ladder Collapse Incidents (PDF, 985 Kb, Adobe Acrobat PDF Help)
Prevention of Self-Contained Breathing Apparatus Failures (PDF, 1.7 Mb, Adobe Acrobat PDF Help)
Aftermath of Firefighter Fatality Incidents: Preparing for the Worst (PDF, 993 Kb, Adobe Acrobat PDF Help)
Improving Firefighter Communications (PDF, 417 Kb, Adobe Acrobat PDF Help)
Rapid Intervention Teams and How to Avoid Needing Them (PDF, 1.4 Mb, Adobe Acrobat PDF Help)
Industrial Silo Fire and Explosion (Iredell County, Charlotte, NC - December 1997) (PDF, 663 Kb, Adobe Acrobat PDF Help)

Hazardous Materials

Technical Report Series

Evacuation of Nanticoke, PA Due to Metal Processing Plant Fire
Rail Emergencies (PDF, 4.2 Mb, Adobe Acrobat PDF Help)
Risk Management Planning for Hazardous Materials: What It Means for Fire Service Planning (PDF, 447 Kb, Adobe Acrobat PDF Help)
Scrap and Shredded Tire Fires (PDF, 1.0 Mb, Adobe Acrobat PDF Help)
Tire Recycling Facility Fire (Nebraska City, NE - January 2002) (PDF, 3.4 Mb, Adobe Acrobat PDF Help)

Rescue

Technical Report Series: Amtrak Train Derailment (Nodaway, IA - March 2001) (PDF, 1.3 Mb, Adobe Acrobat PDF Help)

Statistics

The Rural Fire Problem in the United States
Topical Fire Report Series

Agricultural Fires (PDF, 132 Kb, Adobe Acrobat PDF Help)
Agricultural Storage Fires (PDF, 147 Kb, Adobe Acrobat PDF Help)
Fires in the Wildland/Urban Interface (WUI) (PDF, 103 Kb, Adobe Acrobat PDF Help)
Residential Structure Fires on Agricultural Properties (PDF, 171 Kb, Adobe Acrobat PDF Help)
Outdoor Fires (PDF, 113 Kb, Adobe Acrobat PDF Help)

Volunteer Recruitment and Retention

Related Topics

Links of Interest