VIDEOS: More firefighters and first responders can save more lives. But some volunteer fire departments in our area are running out of firefighters to respond to emergencies.
The Town of Oneida Volunteer Fire Department needs to add about 10 members to its team.
Firefighters Anna Maass says her department has about 30 firefighters on the roster but a lot of them are aging out. She says most are 50 years old, some are upwards of 80 years old.
It’s a trend across the country. The National Fire Protection Association reports nearly 30% of volunteer firefighters in communities with 2,500 to 5,000 people are 50 or older. That’s compared to about 14% in 1987.
Without the younger generation coming in to fill their spots, Maass says the emergency response in Oneida could start to struggle to respond to 911 calls.