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This has been a trend for at least the last 20 years, what has happened now is that the rising expectation of the public for
increased levels of service is crossing the line of lessening capability of the community to respond.
Studies done by Temple University (Phila., PA) in examining the gentrification process of historic neighborhoods indicated that the displaced poor had actually made fewer demands on the city for services than the newly arrived middle and upper middle class. The rich bought whatever they needed and the city did not provide. This demand was based on a public perception of the services to be delivered and awareness of those services.
Those who volunteer today are for the most part better educated and more trainable than their predecessors. They have less time due to economic factors and therefore seek to
do tasks efficiently. The true volunteer (see the discussion of A-types/ B-types elsewhere in this forum) makes the time available and takes the effort to be professional.
The other, or B-type, uses the volunteer organization for his own gain. A-types pay for and take the time to go to school, B-types have their organization pay tuition and expenses as a means to keep them active, and then leave to become a career person using the skills the organization paid for.
I have seen the above scenario happen several times in the EMS and Fire Service, and then the career person becomes a paid instructor or sales rep for a supplier.
The economics of volunteer versus career are not sufficient to
convince people to volunteer. There is the perception that
career is either in place or would cost less than volunteer due to reduced manning. That it may cost $120,000 per shift to man an engine plus benefits does not cut it as a decision factor when this may only be $50/ year increase in taxes per
household, and 1 engine with a 4 man crew handles 99% of all fire runs in town.
Wilderness land SAR needs A-types because there are too few runs in most of the country to ever justify career wilderness land SAR organizations.
Irv Lichtesntein 215-233-3360 215-233-2343 fax
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trends have been long term 
SAR membership organizational problems
(Richard Hannibal)
Turnover Rate
(David R. Tate)
