Fire departments across Kentucky face shortage of volunteers

Across the Commonwealth, and across the country, volunteer fire departments are struggling as a lack of funding and a shortage of volunteers are stretching them to the bare minimum.

At the Stanton Fire Department in Powell County, a team of just 25 volunteers respond to roughly 1,000 calls every year.

"During the day, we're lucky to have two or three people show up," said Eddie Barnes, Judge/Executive in Powell County and volunteer firefighter for nearly 40 years. "Just Tuesday, we had a structure fire at one of our local grocery stores and one of the first engines arriving had three people. That was it."

It's a nationwide problem, as volunteers make up 65% of firefighters in the United States, according to the National Volunteer Fire Council.

In a recent report, the NVFC reported the number of volunteer firefighters across the country dipped to a new low in 2020, as the call volume tripled in just 35 years.

In Madison County, the shortage has hit Waco Fire & Rescue.

Waco volunteer and former Richmond fire chief, Buzzy Campbell, said having a small team could be detrimental.

"The citizens suffer. Because we're volunteers, we're only able to do so much, physically," Campbell said.

The departments credit the busy lives of potential volunteers, who are sometimes working two jobs to make ends meet.

Budget constraints are also keeping departments from providing any incentives for people who join.

Barnes wants to see better state funding, and would also consider a fire district tax in the county, which he said could ultimately lower homeowners' insurance bills.

"Let people pay a little bit more for a better fire department and ambulance service," he said. "It could be any one of us. It could be any one of our houses."

To become a volunteer, Barnes and Campbell recommend contacting a volunteer department to learn more.