A decline in volunteers at the Union Fire District has prompted town officials to look for ways to replenish the ranks.
The issue came up for discussion at Tuesday’s Town Council meeting.
“South Kingstown’s no different from any other town in the country right now going through shortages of volunteer firefighters,” Union Fire District Chief Steven Pinch said.
Over the past 10 years, the number of active firefighters in the district has dropped from a high of about 120 to about 80 now, Pinch said.
Active firefighters are eligible for a small stipend every six months based on a point system that tracks each firefighter’s level of involvement, Pinch said.
“In the volunteer system, it’s kind of hard to determine who’s active or not, because they may come to a fire, then you might not see them again for awhile,” he said.