The fire service is being stretched thin, and the pandemic isn't helping local fire companies improve recruitment and retention. They're now sounding the alarm hoping to get the word out and attract new members.
In 2020, the pandemic sent most people home, but firefighters were an exception, responding to emergencies no matter what. However, as people refrained from venturing out, local fire companies took the heat seeing less people interested in joining the fire service. Last year, the Linglestown Fire Company No.1 in Lower Paxton Township, only had five or six new members join. Firefighter recruitment numbers have been declining for the last several years, showing no signs of improvement, which worries Sean Harp, the assistant fire chief of Linglestown Fire Company.