Volunteer Fire Fighters Needed

With fewer fire fighters in the community due to budget cuts, volunteer fire fighters are an asset. But with no pay and long hours, some volunteer fire departments are struggling to find people who are interested in helping out.

St Martins Fire Chief Brian McKiel tells CHSJ News it's hard to recruit young people for such a labor-intensive  position because the hours are long and there isn't much in the way of compensation. He says some people even lose money if they get injured, although there is compensation available for volunteers in cases like that.

McKiel says they have a few new recruits in their teens and 20s who are completing their training, but most volunteer fire fighters are between 30 and 50 years old.