The small townships and communities of northern Trumbull County are certainly unique.
"The lack of volunteers is a national, a state and a local problem," said Chief David Comstock of the Western Reserve Joint Fire District.
But an ever-pressing problem they all face is not so unique.
"In 2030 there will be more people over the age of 65 than there will be under 18," Comstock said.
Comstock, also a lawyer, is talking about what he described as a tsunami of EMS calls. There are more of them each year as the population continues to age.
"If you think it's bad now, it's going to get a lot worse," he said. "There's a demand for medical response but they don't always have the EMT or paramedics to do it."
Part of that has to do with more stringent state certification standards and partly to do with pay.
A fix for that problem in many communities, including areas of northeast Ohio, is establishing joint districts for EMS, fire, or both.