Rural Fire Departments Can’t Keep Volunteers

Item: Rural fire districts are burning for volunteers: As lives get busier and families move more often, it’s harder to find and retain firefighters, several rural Idaho fire chiefs say.

More Info: But times have changed, and volunteer fire departments are finding it harder to recruit and keep volunteers. Volunteer rescue crews account for more than 80 percent of the firefighters and EMTs in Idaho and, although emergency calls have doubled, the number of volunteers nationwide has fallen more than 20 percent in the past two decades. Those who volunteer are more difficult to retain. Turnover rates are higher, and many don’t stick with it longer than a few years.

Question: Have you ever been or are you now a volunteer firefighter? Would you be interesting in being a volunteer?