Whether it's in the middle of the night or on a scorching July afternoon, volunteer firefighters have to be ready to answer the call.
With more homes and structures popping up in parts of Henderson County, those first-responders are facing a heavier workload. At the same time, the expense of keeping the firefighting vehicles in running order and maintaining enough personnel to control the blazes are growing obstacles.
"Fuel prices have gone back up a bit this year,” said Westside Volunteer Fire Department Chief Doug Nicholson. “They had gone down. The cost of equipment hasn't gone down. It's gone up."
The department is in good shape in equipment, but a 1981 model truck that has been on many fire scenes is being retired.
Nicholson has been with the department since 1993. Westside on FM 315 south of Chandler, near Lake Palestine.