The coronavirus outbreak brought out the importance of emergency response volunteers in communities across the United States... And the need for more volunteers.
The shortage of volunteer firefighters, EMTs, and other organizations is nothing new. It's been an issue communities have been facing for several years now. In Broome County, officials are trying to find ways to not only recruit more, but hang on to those who answer the call to serve.
“There’s a major time commitment in becoming a volunteer firefighter," says Jeffrey Buckler, Fire Coordinator with Broome County Emergency Services.
Buckler says when he started his career, there was about 30 hours of required training, now that's over 100 hours. He says this is for good reason.
“There's a lot at play, but changing demographics, changing lifestyles. Both people in a household are working, some are working multiple jobs to make ends meet," says Buckler.