LUBBOCK, Texas (KCBD) – Volunteers have formed the backbone of emergency response across the U.S. for generations. As time goes on, however, fewer people are answering the call to serve.
The Idalou Volunteer Fire Department has 23 total volunteers covering roughly 100 miles of eastern Lubbock County. Chief Russ Perkins says that’s a major difference between his department and a city’s, like Lubbock Fire Rescue.
“If there’s a structure fire in Lubbock, they have three or four engines, a ladder truck, a couple of chiefs, you know, 18 to 20 people on a reported structure fire,” Perkins said. “There are 23 [total] on the Idalou Volunteer Fire Department.”
According to the U.S. Fire Administration, 70% of firefighters across the country are volunteers. That means they help their communities for free in addition to their day jobs. If a call comes in during work hours, they’re expected to leave and join the response.
“Some of us are retired, some of us work in town, but the majority of my department works in Lubbock,” Perkins said. “You might have three that are able to show up, or 13, or you might have 17 of us show up.”
The National Fire Protection Agency reports the nation’s volunteer fire service loses an average of 12,000 volunteers annually. At the same time, the NFPA reports calls for service have risen 70% since 2008, leaving what volunteers remain with more work and less manpower.
Perkins has seen that decrease in volunteerism himself. He says it’s not only difficult to find people to volunteer as a firefighter, it’s also difficult to find volunteers to keep the department running.
“Finding that time to come down and do what needs to be done, not only when the pager goes off, but to make sure the trucks are up and going, make sure the water coolers are full,” Perkins said. “It’s tough to carve [the time] out of a day.”
Volunteer fire departments across Lubbock County routinely work together, adding manpower and equipment to the response.
“We do a good job through the dispatch system we have. Structure fires automatically get two, possibly three fire departments,” Perkins said.
If you cannot volunteer to fight fires, Perkins urges people to volunteer to help his department.
“There is always, always something to do at a volunteer fire department,” Perkins said. “It could be just coming down and filling coolers with ice and water, it could be a retired mechanic to fix little problems, it could be someone bringing food to us while we’re on shift.”
Perkins says despite the decline in volunteerism across the country, the sense of neighborly responsibility runs strong. He says it’s the people of Idalou who keep him going.
“Especially in a farming community like Idalou, it’s a sense of community. The sense of giving back, wanting to be a part of the community, wanting to help your neighbor,” Perkins said. “Because one of these days, it might be me who needs taking care of.”
You can find more information on how to become a volunteer with Idalou Fire here. Idalou, like most other volunteer departments, provides volunteers with training and certifications.
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