Jimmy Ellis said he spent at least $3,500 out of his pocket last year to keep the West Odessa Volunteer Fire Department, noting that fighting fires in the county is one of his passions.
Ellis, fire chief for the department, said without the firefighters infusing their own money, everything from maintenance to bunker gear suffers.
The bunker gear—including the helmet, the boots, the self-contained breathing apparatus and more—weights a total of 70 pounds. Volunteer Sean Dixon said he volunteers to give back to the community because that's where he grew up.
"If (someone) feels like giving something back to the community, this is the best way to do it," he added.
Stacie DeMoss does not have difficulty carrying the gear, she said. DeMoss said her favorite part of being a volunteer is being able to knock a fire out before the city firefighters arrive.
Costs for the electricity bill, fuel, water, and gas bills add up, Ellis said. Per month, fuel and electricity bills cost the department about $800 and $600 respectively.
"We're not driving Toyotas (with better fuel mileage). We're driving trucks," Ellis said.
On average, the West Odessa Volunteer Fire Department responds to 600 calls a year, with about one to 10 runs a day. That number increases during grass fire season, which also surpasses the number of runs for other volunteer fire departments on average, Ellis said.