Dan LaLone
Contributing Writer

(Joanne Williams/FAN& TCJ – Area as well as national volunteer firefighters are in short supply and the call has gone out for young people to get involved)

In Eaton County, the fire service is changing. Most local departments still depend on paid-on-call or volunteer firefighters, but as experienced members get older and leave the fire service, departments need new generations of firefighters to step forward.

The challenge is making sure there are enough trained people to replace experienced firefighters while maintaining adequate staffing.

Eaton County’s 13 fire departments use staffing models that reflect the needs of their communities. Some operate with full-time personnel, while others combine full-time firefighters with paid-on-call members. Most rely heavily on paid-on-call or volunteer firefighters.

Several departments have also developed dedicated daytime staffing because many paid-on-call firefighters are working during the day. Those arrangements provide coverage when fewer members are available.

The work has also expanded beyond fighting fires. Several Eaton County departments provide their own ambulance service while all departments respond to medical emergencies, crashes, fires, hazardous materials incidents and other calls.

Bellevue Community Fire Department Chief Jacob Jackson said his department currently has 27 firefighters, with about 30 considered ideal. Bellevue has used community involvement, social media and department events to recruit members. Department members who teach at a local college have also helped recruit people who already have fire service training.

Jackson said the time and training required of firefighters has increased.

“Fire departments require more time and training today than in the past,” Jackson said. He said the additional requirements are important to providing quality service, but the commitment can make it increasingly difficult to operate solely on a traditional volunteer model.

Bellevue actually has more firefighters today than when Jackson joined the fire service. However, the department did not handle emergency medical calls at that time, so its call volume was much lower.

Today, business hours are Bellevue’s most difficult staffing period. The department staffs its station from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. on weekdays.

When multiple emergencies occur simultaneously, mutual aid allows neighboring departments to assist one another. Jackson said staffing can still affect residents.

“People have to wait longer for a response,” he said.

Jackson said some volunteer and part-paid departments may eventually need combination models, with full-time firefighters covering most calls and volunteers supplementing staffing when possible.

Community involvement can include attending events, learning about fire safety, supporting fundraising efforts or encouraging someone to join.

Jackson recommends that anyone interested in becoming a firefighter visit a local fire station and talk with the people there.

Many Eaton County departments provide recruitment information through their websites and social media pages. Others host open houses and community events where residents can meet firefighters and learn more about their local department.

For residents looking to get involved, the first step is simple: contact your local fire department and ask what it needs or attend an upcoming event.

Fire Prevention Week is a reminder that keeping a community safe takes more than preventing fires. It also takes people willing to answer the call when someone needs help.

Editor’s Note: Besides being a contributing writer, Dan LaLone is a firefighter, an EMT, and works for Eaton County 911.