Who wants to be a police officer? Who wants to face the danger and stress of being a firefighter or paramedic?
It's a question and struggle that local police and fire chiefs across the region are trying to solve.
Medics, officers and firefighters play key roles in communities - but the job often comes with high stress, extensive training, long shifts, dangerous encounters and often low starting pay.
The director of the Roanoke Police Department Training Academy told WFXR News that it's a challenge to find quality recruits who wait for lengthy background checks and complete weeks of intense training.
"With the era we are in, it is difficult getting qualified applicants to put in to be a police officer," said Bill Breedlove.