The department currently has 80 volunteer firefighters, with 60 of those working part time as paid EMT staff.
Roeder said with families’ busy schedules today and both parents working in many homes, it is hard to find people who have the time to volunteer.
“They don’t have the time to put forth, and it does take a lot of training and hours to do the job we do up here now,” Roeder said.
The job requires about five hours of training and meetings a month and volunteers average about 10 to 15 runs a month, Roeder said.
A stipend is given to volunteers for each run they make.
Roeder added he used to employ a lot of senior citizens who lived in the community and would volunteer in their spare time. But now he is starting to see more young men and women applying who are looking to start a career in the field.
An agility test, physical and background check are required to get on the force, Roeder said. Potential volunteers then go through an extensive interview process and are put on a six-month probationary period.
“In that first six months, we will tell if that individual is going to pan out and benefit us,” Roeder said.
If the volunteer is a fit, Roeder said the department will pay for the person’s firefighter certification class.
He said it costs around $4,000 in equipment costs to outfit a firefighter.
Roeder added that the department’s new medic station has cut response times in half.
“The benefits of that have really weighed out good so far,” he said.
Roeder said the department is now starting to give mutual aid to other departments instead of receiving it.
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