A dwindling number of volunteers coupled with a lack of eligible recruits is forcing a 146-year-old fire department in rural Dodge County to shutter its doors. A large majority of Wisconsin’s fire departments are run mostly or entirely by volunteers. It’s getting harder for many departments to recruit those volunteers, fire service leaders said, especially in rural communities. Three fire departments in Dodge County will merge in 2022. A study was also released last year on possible consolidation of emergency medical services in Dodge County because the ranks are thinning, and the call volume is rising.