Firefighters do much more than fight fires. Firefighters can be found at car crashes, fuel spills, medical calls and more. It is a heavy load for all firefighters, especially with a shortage in the volunteer firefighter population in recent years.
Officials say the Southwest Volunteer Fire Department in Jacksonville is one of many in the state impacted by a decrease in volunteerism.
Matthew Graff says he had never heard of volunteer firefighters when he was new to the area. He says he walked into the station one day, and the rest is history.
“This is where I live,” he says. “This is my community, and these are the people I want to serve.”
Volunteers like Graff are hard to find, according to Ed Brinson with the North Carolina State Fire Marshal’s Office. In the last four years, he says the state has lost more than 3,000 volunteers – nearly 1,300 of them in eastern North Carolina.
Officials say they are confused about why the numbers are dropping. Rhodestown Fire Chief JR Marks thinks it is a retention issue.