BOONE COUNTY, W.Va. (WCHS) — Madison Volunteer Fire Chief Joey Smith said he has 24 volunteer firefighters on his roster, but only eight of them are on duty one or more times a month.
He told Eyewitness News that most Madison VFD firefighters work 9-5 jobs, which makes it difficult for them to answer calls during the work week.
“When you think about a serious car accident, a house fire or anything else, it’s scary. We rely on two people for at least 40 hours a week,” Smith said.
Smith told Eyewitness News that he and other firefighters across the county are trying to find a solution to recruiting more personnel, but the problem can be found in volunteer fire departments across the country, not just in Boone County.
“We have eight departments in the county, and each department works on membership,” he said. “We have to let the young people go. We must continue the tradition.”
Boone County Commissioner Jeff Petrie said recruiting for the county’s fire departments is typically done within each department.
“I think a lot of it is just to get the message out,” Petrie said. “Let all citizens of our community know that they can help. Whether they make 100 calls a year or 10 calls a year, they can participate. Every little bit helps.”
“When I first started, it was a battle to see who could get in the truck,” he said. “Our truck has room for six people, and we have 10 people coming to us. Right now there is only one person in our truck… This is the volunteer department. We cannot always guarantee that someone will be able to attend our calls on occasion. It’s a very, very scary feeling to not get an answer.”
Commissioner Petrie also noted that the county’s fire levy passed in Tuesday’s primary election, which he said will help provide some relief to the county’s volunteer fire departments.
Post time: May-21-2024