Canada

I recently retired from a Saskatchewan volunteer fire and rescue department. Generally, most departments of both types prefer the designation "career" to get away from the idea that volunteers are less well trained or professional in the execution of duties.

Careerists and volunteers take all the same courses frequently from the same trainers. In fact, some of the most in demand trainers are members of volunteer departments. When we can afford it, we get trainers out to train our departments as a team. Otherwise, we go to major training events in cities twice a year, usually hosted and even organized by the local career department. We are held to all the same standards, complete with continuing education to maintain our certificates. We are required to use all the same certified equipment, inspected and tested on the same schedule.

The biggest differences are response times (obviously; I live 20 km from the fire hall, so often responded directly to the scene in my own vehicle) and practice. Our department met one evening a week for a combination of administrative work and practice.

One of the problems with trying to maintain fully paid staff is the number of calls. I think we never had more than a dozen calls of all types in any one year. Maybe an an average of 1 vehicle crash a year, usually single vehicle rollover. Maybe 1 structure fire a year (but usually a farm shop with no lives on the line). The rest would be 2-12 hour grass fires, with bigger ones coming a couple of times a decade. But we still plan and practice for big events.

Also, on many (most?) volunteer departments, people are paid for calls. The volunteering is about being on call and less demanding "hiring" requirements. On average we're probably less physically fit and have more flexibility in duties. For example, we had people with low fitness and less risk tolerance dedicated to driving, pump operation, scene management, logistics, hotspot control, traffic control, etc. That left the more fit and those with higher risk tolerance to the heavier, more active, and more hazardous duties.