Photo/Illutration A member of a community volunteer fire corps during training (Asahi Shimbun file photo)

Some volunteer fire corps are forcing members to hand over remunerations paid by municipalities despite a government order three years ago, partly to fund drinking parties and other social gatherings.

A member of a fire corps in central Japan who went on an overnight trip organized by the organization this winter highlighted how the practice works.

Members visited a public gambling facility during the day, sat at a banquet at the “ryokan” inn in the evening and spent the hours after 8 p.m. as they desired, according to the itinerary obtained by The Asahi Shimbun.

The ryokan was in a nightlife area of national fame. Some participants went to adult entertainment establishments, the person said.

A receipt shared on the Line messaging app showed that more than 300,000 yen ($2,000) was paid to the ryokan, but the member did not pay a yen out of pocket.

The trip was funded by so-called “activities expenses,” or a pool of remunerations the fire corps siphons off from members.

Japan had about 747,000 people registered with volunteer fire corps nationwide as of April 1, 2024.

Unlike full-time fire department members, they are local residents who hold regular jobs and serve as firefighters when called in emergencies.

As part-time local government employees, members receive compensation from municipalities for their service. The amount differs depending on local situations.

The central government specifies the standard annual pay of 36,500 yen and an additional 8,000 yen for each day worked.

The Asahi Shimbun interviewed fire corps members in Kagawa Prefecture, Tokorozawa, Saitama Prefecture, and Kobe, among other locations, and viewed their online messages with senior members.

Some fire corps instruct members to hand over remunerations to them in cash or transfer them to their bank accounts. Others even take possession of members’ bank books and cards.

A fire corps member in Aichi Prefecture was told to open an account with an agricultural cooperative to receive compensation upon joining the organization.

The person has not seen the passbook since handing it to a senior fire corps member about 10 years ago.

“I have not received a yen since I joined,” the member told The Asahi Shimbun.

This spring, the person was told to get a cash card with the number 0119 and submit it to the fire corps.

The member is angry about the illicit behavior, but cannot oppose the practice because many members live in the neighborhood.

“It will become difficult to live here,” the person said.

Fire corps members said the pooled remuneration funds are often spent on activities not related to their mission, such as drinking sessions.

In the past, municipalities generally paid remunerations to fire corps members through their organizations.

However, many fire corps were found pocketing the money to fund social gatherings, without disbursing it to their members

In April 2022, the Fire and Disaster Management Agency told municipalities to directly pay the members.

The agency also issued a notification to rectify the irregular practices in August the same year.

In particular, the document said taking ownership of members’ bank books and cards could violate the Law on Prevention of Criminal Proceeds.

The Fire and Disaster Management Agency told The Asahi Shimbun that the irregular practices must be corrected immediately.

Meanwhile, fire corps members said expenses necessary for their activities, such as utility fees for staffing stations, are not funded by local government budgets and must be covered by member remunerations accumulated by fire corps.

In a notification issued in 2021, the Fire and Disaster Management Agency said expenses directly payable to fire corps members and expenses necessary for fire corps operations must be appropriately identified and called on municipalities to secure budgets for both.

(This article was compiled from reports by Hidenori Nakajima, Misato Nara, Hisaki Tamanaha and Kantaro Katashima.)

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