We are running out of volunteers

it seems.
There is yet another small piece in today's paper about the lack of volunteer fire fighters. It should have been a front page headline.
We need volunteer fire fighters. 
It's a dangerous job. It's horribly uncomfortable too. It requires skill. The people who do it need to be trained. Time needs to be devoted to that. Money is needed for equipment. I could go on.
Our state government does not seem to appreciate this. They certainly seem unwilling to face just how serious the situation is. Oh yes, they set up the "Emergency Services Levy" - a tax on everyone to fund these services. 
The problem is that the money isn't going where it should be going.
I am not sure how the state government thinks a major outbreak of fire in the hills behind us would actually be fought.
And then the government is also complaining that there aren't enough volunteers in other areas either. That's hardly surprising. They have made it much more difficult to volunteer now. It isn't just the "police checks". Most people don't mind those - although paying for them is an issue. There are the other issues. There is the compulsory "OHS" training - occupational health and safety training.  One of the workers at a local charity shop complained that a "young thing in her 20's came and told us to wash our hands after handling the clothes that came in". It isn't something the volunteers do anyway they do it thoroughly. The woman in charge also makes sure that the facilities are kept particularly clean. As she said to me, "You never know where things are coming from."
And there are the insurance issues. The cost of insurance keeps rising and, if nothing else, you need public liability insurance.
I am occasionally called in to give assistance with paperwork or help in writing a letter. Now the manager is worried that someone who is coming to inspect might say something and try to stop her using me in that way. No, the police check is not an issue. What is an issue is that they aren't supposed to provide that sort of help anymore. A person needs to be sent on somewhere else. 
Actually that's the last thing they need. They need help there and then. They might well not go on to the next place. It all gets too hard.
Of course there is a need to ensure that people are safe and trained to do the job but there is also a need for commonsense and the ability to call in someone who can do the job.
If people are willing to go out and risk their lives fighting fires and if women well over the age of 80 are still willing to give up a day a week and do an excellent job in the local charity shop then the government needs to be saying "thank you" rather than making it more difficult.
You see, when the volunteers run out it is going to cost everyone more.