OLYPHANT, LACKAWANNA COUNTY (WBRE/WYOU) — Volunteer fire departments all face a similar challenge: They are struggling to get people to join.
On Sunday afternoon for the first time, several fire companies got together to discuss the future of volunteer fire service in northeastern Pennsylvania.
The fire at an Olyphant apartment building could have been a whole lot worse if not for the number of volunteer firefighters who raced to the scene.
The problem for many communities these days is beefing up the number of dedicated men and women to answer the call.
It's one reason why emergency service representatives gathered Sunday at Fiorelli catering to discuss challenges and solutions surrounding volunteer firefighting.
"This is a first of its kind in Northeastern Pennsylvania, where we've opened it up to elected municipal and Township officials to get together and meet with volunteer fire companies. We've got three or four different counties represented here today," said Throop Volunteer Hose Company Chief Andy Hegedus.
They hope to get an open dialogue out of Sunday's discussion.
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"It's open dialogue to talk about the challenges when it comes to response, equipment purchasing, manpower, and shared resources," Chief Hegedus explained.
The chief says the challenges of today are greater than in previous decades.
"We do struggle with manpower. There is a little bit of a lack of volunteerism that's occurring. Lifestyles have changed. People are working jobs that don't permit them to respond at certain times so we depend on mutual aid partners," Chief Hegedus continued.
Another goal is to improve communication between the departments.
"Preventing duplication of services and just opening up the channels of communication between council members and the volunteer fire companies all across Northeastern and Central Pennsylvania," Chief Hegedus added.
To continue to serve the communities in our area, they need more than just donations.
"We're always looking for new candidates to fill a fulfilling position," Chief Hegedus stated.
Many volunteer fire departments are actively working to recruit and retain volunteers.
