Ohio’s struggles to recruit volunteer firefighters hits Athens County
By: Arielle Teppert
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ATHENS, Ohio (WOUB) – As calls for help are increasing, there are fewer volunteer firefighters to answer in Ohio.
Richland Volunteer Fire Department Chief Dale Sinclair deals with the issue firsthand.
“The community that we used to have where everybody helped each other is gone,” said Sinclair.
He said the number of volunteers at the Richland Department has dropped substantially over the past decade.
“We used to carry a roster of 25 to 30 and we’re down to 14 or 15,” said Sinclair.
Although attention to the problem is just starting to gain traction, declining involvement is nothing new.
The Ohio governor’s office said the number of volunteer firefighters in 2018 through 2021 decreased by 6.5 percent, while there was a 9 percent increase in calls.
With the numbers dwindling, departments are left to speculate on what is causing the drop in those volunteering to protect their community.
Richland Capt. Diane Sinclair has an idea as to why this is happening.
“Some of it is financial motivations, some of it’s just a sense of self and a sense of serving others, they don’t get a whole lot from that,” said Sinclair.
She said people’s priorities are changing.
“There’s a lot of opportunities, but these days a lot of people are just thinking about surviving, so they just kind of think about their own needs,” said Sinclair.
The usual flyers and Facebook posts are not cutting it, so recruiters are trying new ways to stop the downward trend.
Josh Lewis, Ohio’s volunteer fire service coordinator, works on increasing volunteer involvement.
He said he hopes Ohio’s “Make Me a Firefighter” campaign will bring people back to the firehouse.
“We’ve got ads on digital media, on cable television, directing people to make me a firefighter, where they can get connected with their local fire departments,” said Lewis. “It’s just a way to close that gap between the individual that maybe wants to volunteer or wants some questions answered and finding that fire department.”