Pottstown Fire Chief Michael Lessar Jr. said he hopes to entice volunteer firefighters by establishing a financial incentive program for the department.
Volunteers make up 90 percent of the Pottstown Fire Department's manpower in the borough's four fire companies, a factor that saves Pottstown more than $4.7 million annually compared with a fully paid department of similar size, Lessar said.
However, the most active volunteer in the department responded to about 25 percent of the borough's 963 emergency calls in 2017, and most volunteers, Lessar said, responded to 50 calls or fewer.
"I don't have a lack of volunteer problem, I have a lack of participation," he told borough council at a recent meeting.