When Burke County Fire Marshal Michael Willis first started in the fire service in 1981, he said there were only three channels on his television. There were no cellphones or internet, and people had a lot more time to spare.
A lot of that time went into volunteering, Willis said. And during his first 17 years in the fire service, Willis and other firefighters were so passionate about volunteering that they purchased their own gear and radios.
But now, 36 years since Willis began his career, he said volunteerism is “not what it used to be.”