Jim Schoeggl and his family have given back to the community. For 27 years Schoeggl has given up six nights a month, plus training, as a volunteer firefighter for the Kirkland Fire Department. Time away from family, going to a day job after a 7:30 p.m. to 6 a.m. shift and the inherent danger that comes along with serving the community as a firefighter would drive most citizens away.
“It can be tough,” said Schoeggl, who is now a retired Microsoft employee. “Spouses end up giving a lot, too.”
But the benefit for public safety and city budgets are huge. For the $60,000 that is set aside in the City of Kirkland’s budget each year for the volunteers’ stipends, the city receives about 13,000 hours of work. That works out to about $4.60 an hour, according to the Greater Kirkland Volunteer Firefighters Association Web site.
“It is nice to have cause it covers our expenses,” said Schoeggl. “With the stipend it is not costing us money to do this.”
When cuts were discussed to make ends meet in the city’s budget last year, reductions in volunteer firefighters’ stipends was considered. Those stipends could be on the chopping block again this year without increased revenue from Prop 1, the proposed utility tax increase of 1.5 percent.
The benefits of voting down the measure are obvious. No one wants to pay more for communications, natural gas and electricity in a down economy. But without the revenue, the volunteer firefighters’ stipends could be the first to go.
“Our bylaws prevent us from taking a political stance, so we do not state we are in favor of, or oppose the Prop 1 tax increase,” said Greater Kirkland Volunteer Firefighters Association President Patrick Coor.
The Association works as a union for the volunteer firefighters of Kirkland.
“Our only point of contention is that the department does not cut the reserve funding,” said Coor. “Last year, this funding was a proposed cut. About 10 reserves attended and spoke at a City Council meeting and the stipend was not cut. We plan to do the same this year.”
But the reality of balancing a budget with less money than last year may leave the council with no choice.
The use of stipends for volunteer firefighters is a common practice in fire departments and is also taxed as payroll. Reserve firefighters are on duty every day of the year.
“We also teach and purchase equipment for public CPR and first aid training, provide fire safety education for school children and attend community events,” said Coor.
The loss of the stipend does not mean that the volunteer firefighter’s program will disappear. But it could mean the loss of volunteers with the lack of reimbursement for the time and money that they personally put into the job.
“It amazes me the quality of people we get,” said Schoeggl. “There are some high energy, talented people who are willing to do this.”
The potential loss of volunteer personnel could decrease the level of service citizens have come to expect, the organization’s Web site states.
“We would become 100 percent volunteer without the stipend,” said Coor. “The biggest impact is the likelihood of experienced people not volunteering.”
There are approximately 20-24 volunteer firefighters in Kirkland and more than 80 professional firefighters on staff.
The Greater Kirkland Volunteer Firefighters Association also has one fundraiser each year that helps to purchase equipment for both the Kirkland Fire Department and for the volunteers. The fundraiser keeps the financial burden to a minimum for the volunteers as they don’t have to purchase their own gear.
“The Kirkland Reserve Firefighters are nearly self-sufficient,” said Coor. “Of course, with the exception of the stipend.”
All of the volunteers have regular day jobs from finance and banking, to carpentry, retail and city employees.
“We have many married folks, parents and a few students,” said Coor. “We even have a PhD.”
For more information on the Kirkland Volunteer Firefighters Association go to www.gkvffa.org/
