When you drive past the Kansasville Fire and Rescue station on Highway 11, the electronic sign often reads “Firefighters and EMTs needed. Apply Now!” Similar advertisements are seen nationwide, as full-time and volunteer fire departments alike struggle to fill their rosters. The National Volunteer Firefighter Council found that, from 1984-2015, the number of volunteer firefighters in the U.S. has dropped by 12 percent. The volunteer firefighters still doing the job are getting older on average, too. According to the National Fire Protection Association, 70 percent of all fire departments are staffed by volunteers. That’s why more than a dozen fire services organizations gathered at Gateway Technical College’s HERO Center, 380 McCanna Parkway, Burlington, on Saturday.