Volunteer Firefighters take the heat for service and love

Volunteer firefighters have been at the heart of the heat since fire was discovered by man. Volunteering to be a firefighter isn't the norm in just Wyoming. Volunteering is the norm across the United States. If volunteering for fighting fires has been with us through history then why are we at a near-crisis in Wyoming when it comes to firefighters? The crisis is because of the lack of people volunteering. We just don't have enough numbers coming out to donate their time and energy.

Departments across the state are struggling to keep numbers at a level that can safely handle fire and rescue situations that occur. And the scary thing is that majority of residents across the great state of Wyoming, whether in the county or in a municipality, depend on those volunteers to turn out when there is a crisis involving fire in the home or in the fields or forests. And it's not just fires. Many, many areas of the state have non-fire emergencies covered in one way or another by volunteer firefighters. Rollovers, semi-wrecks, lost child, hay fires, hazardous spill, smoke in a school, burning-wire smell, traffic control and the list goes on and on. 9-1-1 is dialed and the fireman respond. After all, who else you gonna call?

What can we do to prevent a catastrophe from happening? Nothing. Catastrophes are going to happen regardless of the planning that may occur. We may avoid some and reduce others but regardless, we will always have catastrophes. What can we AS PEOPLE do to not add additional catastrophic elements? We can be prepared. That includes knowledge of potential catastrophic events (are you in an earthquake prone area?) and it includes self-sufficiency. It also includes training to be a volunteer emergency worker like CERT, BEC, EMT, or firefighter. Wyoming needs volunteers, but not just last-minute-it's-an-emergency-what-can-I-do? volunteer. Those kind are dangerous because they are not trained.

Wyoming needs people to find a time to donate back to their community that gives so much. Although wrecks may seem to be from crazy tourists who don't understand our weather or animal conditions, and that may well be the case, they still need to be attended to. It could be us in another area or state and we would certainly hope that trained help was nearby. Is it hard to find time? Yes it is, certainly it is. There are many, many demands on time. We need jobs. We must not neglect our families. Children need to be tucked in at night. Yes, yes. But, we must not forget how vital emergency services are and that volunteering to provide those services are how it gets done in Wyoming. As you tuck your child in and turn off the lights, think of what will happen if that cozy scene is surrounded by flames at 2am? Who is going to come to your home?

How can we get involved? Call your local fire department. Yes, at one time there was a waiting list to get on departments. Equipment is expensive and therefore limited. Waiting lists are very uncommon today although most departments have a limit on total members due to equipment. Yes, there were good-ol-boy clubs. Yes, there were bars in the fire halls and some were known, even in the not too distant past, for their fraternity atmospheres. If you have a department like that where you live, stand up and help change it into acting like the vital service it is. That alone may be the toughest challenge. Keep in mind that departments with these type of severe internal problems are the minority. Join with a buddy. Attend your meetings and trainings. Sometimes calls for service are months apart. Sometimes they are mere hours. You just never know in Wyoming. One thing, however, is known and that is that volunteers are needed and they are needed in a bad way.