Because there is only one full-time employee assigned to Winterville’s fire department and the rest are volunteers, staffing is always an issue.
To combat the ongoing problem, the Winterville Town Council has approved live-in interns.
College students who want more experience can live at the station five days a week as a part of an internship.
The program is designed to help both the students and the community.
“It helps to ensure adequate numbers of trained firefighters on the apparatus when they respond to emergencies,” said David Moore, Winterville fire chief.