Should firefighters require background checks?

They spend time in and around residential areas and businesses during times of emergencies, and assist people at their most vulnerable. They visit schools for fire safety days and interact with children. Even so, it is not mandatory in every state for volunteer firefighters to undergo background checks, even if their full-time counterparts are fully vetted. For example, Maryland state law does not require volunteer firefighters to undergo checks. Though state law permits volunteer fire departments to utilize the State Fire Marshal’s office’s resources to conduct those checks, Deputy Fire Marshal Bruce D. Bouch of the State Fire Marshal’s office said that their office has not conducted background checks on volunteer firefighters in three years, due to budget and personnel limitations. Even if the Fire Marshal’s office had the resources to conduct state background checks on volunteer firefighters, that database would only cover crimes that happened within Maryland, and would not cover West Virginia, Virginia or Pennsylvania, all of which are a short distance away from Maryland. Some state volunteer departments take the time and money to hire background checking companies to ensure the safety of the residents they are serving, but because they are not required to do so by law, many forego background checks altogether. This can be harmful to you as a resident, because firefighters are trusted in times of emergencies to provide care in and around residences and businesses. Similar to Maryland, North Carolina has a law in place in which fire chiefs can request volunteer background checks, though they are not required by state law. Meanwhile, New York recently passed legislation requiring volunteer firefighters to undergo sex offender background checks. For full-time firefighters, a previous criminal conviction isn’t enough to eliminate a potential hire. “It depends on what they’ve been charged with or convicted of,” said Fire Chief Donald Dunn of Cumberland, Md. “We’re in so many people’s houses.” The department looks for previous crimes such as theft, arson and sex offenses when making hiring decisions.]]>