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County volunteer rescue services are coping with the recession better than other departments in the country but are stepping up efforts to ensure the number of volunteer firefighters, EMTs and the money to run their services remain solvent.

The Kensington Volunteer Fire Department has brought on a volunteer to help with recruitment and retention, even though its volunteer numbers are up slightly. The Wheaton Volunteer Rescue Squad has seen a decline in recruits and is seeking ways to reverse the trend, and the Bethesda-Chevy Chase Rescue Squad is working on retention.

While recruitment is down in some places nationally, the number of volunteers overall in Montgomery County has increased about 7 percent this year and 14 percent over three years, and the Montgomery County Volunteer Fire and Rescue Association plans to open a recruitment office within two months.

A survey of 45 Washington, D.C., metropolitan area departments, of which nearly all were volunteer departments or used volunteers in combination with career firefighters, by the insurance company Fireman's Fund in May found 85 percent are finding staffing and recruitment at least "somewhat challenging" and about half have increased grant writing and fundraising efforts to cope with the recession.

Andres Gluecksmann, a lieutenant with the Wheaton Volunteer Rescue Squad, said the number of volunteers there is lower than in the past. The department counts on about 30 recruits annually, but this year, the number will likely be closer to 20, he said. Financial contributions also declined.

"We're not exactly way off but it's not like what it used to be," Gluecksmann said, adding the rigorous training and time commitment could dissuade potential volunteers. "I think it might have to do with the recession. I think folks are maybe looking for second jobs, they're looking for a way to make money instead of volunteering."

Gluecksmann said the department is trying to raise awareness about the need for volunteers.

The Kensington Volunteer Fire Department recently focused on obtaining new sources of funding, and was awarded a grant from the Federal Emergency Management Agency to provide $4,500 per semester for recruits to use toward a college degree or paramedic certification, plus cost of books and fees. The recruit must commit to two years of service at the KFVD for every two semesters awarded through the scholarship. The grant is available for up to six volunteers a year, with preference given to new recruits who study fire science, fire suppression or to become paramedics.

Semler brought on Karen Ralston as a volunteer recruiting director. Ralston's duties will include recruiting to fill roles at Stations 18 and 21 that were shifted to Station 5 during county budget cuts about eight years ago and never replaced, Semler said. Those increases come as volunteers at Station 5 have been asked by the county to add one hour a day at the beginning and end of weekday shifts in response to the latest round of county budget cuts.

Ralston said her focus will be as much on retention as recruitment.

"Some people just kind of fall off," she said. "Some people might do it for a year, it's exciting, they want to check it out but then they realize it's too much of a time commitment. We're wanting to focus on quality as much as quantity."

Chief Ned Sherburne of the Bethesda-Chevy Chase Rescue Squad said retention is his primary focus. He said recruitment numbers have been about even, but the real question is whether recruits will ripen into productive volunteers.

"Keeping somebody a couple years is essential for us," Sherburne said. "It's just like a normal job except everybody is a volunteer, so we feel it a little more at the personal level because it's people dealing with their personal time to give the training."

Montgomery County Executive Isiah Leggett designated this week Firefighter Appreciation Week. Send donations to the Kensington Volunteer Fire Department at P.O. Box 222, Kensington, MD 20895 or call 301-929-8000. Send donations to the Wheaton Rescue Squad at 11435 Grandview Ave., Wheaton, MD 20902 or www.wvrs.org. Learn about donating to the Bethesda-Chevy Chase Rescue Squad at www.bccrs.org.