JACKSONVILLE, AR- Some fire departments are working to stop the shortage of volunteer firefighters across the state. According to the Arkansas Department of Emergency Management, the state has roughly 14,000 firefighters. Of those firefighters, 90% are volunteers. Also out of the 1,000 fire departments in Arkansas, only 28 get paid.
“I’m just one that jumps in an volunteers for everything,” says Lt. Hubert Chapman, South Bend Fire Rescue.
Lt. Hubert Chapman with South Bend Fire Rescue has been fighting fires for about 23 years.
“The volunteer departments do the exact same training and our professional to the same degree as the paid departments,” says Chapman.
But the only difference is, “We don’t get paid for it. You’re going to see a crunch in personnel and that’s going to mean that they’re not going to be able to serve as well.”
Chapman is now emphasizing the need for more volunteer firefighters. Recruiting and retaining them is proving to be tough these days, and communities could be at risk if it continues at this rate.
“If you don’t got people there, it’s going to. That’s why we’re trying to get the young folks in,” he says.
Fire Officials say we’re seeing a generational shift, with younger people moving out of rural areas and looking for full time work.
“As things change in any local community, hopefully people will step up and meet the needs,” says Kendell Snyder, ADEM Fire Coordinator.
Most volunteers will be your older generation. But with education and outreach, they hope to recruit young Arkansans who will help make a difference in the Natural State.
“We need another generation to be able to come in and pick up and take it on from here,” says Chapman.
This is an issue that lawmakers also talked about on Thursday. They are looking at the current challenges volunteer firefighters are facing and how they can step up recruitment and retention efforts.
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