In Harris County, first responders are now looking to the community for support. One volunteer fire department took to social media asking for donations.
Firefighter services in Harris County are all volunteer based, meaning funding is largely dependent on donations.
Over the last several years, Harris County Commissioners have increased stipends for volunteer fire departments, but it’s not enough to fully fund the stations. Chief Skip Wyatt of Ellerslie’s Volunteer Fire Department says out of the nearly 2,700 homes in Ellerslie, parts of Upatoi, Midland, and Waverly Hall, only 33% have made annual donations or dues.
“That stipend will go towards, when we normally use it, it goes to our power bill and as much fuel as we can for our trucks and what equipment we can get, we can,” Chief Wyatt said.