Volunteers numbers dwindle, while call volumes increase for volunteer fire departments

MACON COUNTY, Ill. (WAND) — Many businesses and agencies continue to struggle to find workers and fill vacant spots.

Volunteer fire departments are one of many struggling to find help right now. In Macon County, departments have noticed in recent years the roster of volunteers has dwindled, while the call volume has increased.

"We have somewhere around 30 people on our rosters, but we have probably 10 to 15 to keep the day-to-day operations going," said Chief Kurt Michener, Argenta-Oreana Fire Protection District.

Chief Michener said while he still has a good number of people on the roster, attendance has dropped over the past couple of years.

He recalled a recent incident where he was the only person available to respond to a serious medical issue. While Chief Michener was able to help the person, he said low numbers have forced a larger workload on himself and his officers.

"We want to get some more people to take the load off of myself, my two officers, and the other people that do help to kind of try to spread some of that load around."

The same can be said at the South Macon Fire Department. Chief Ed Aukamp started with the department when he was 18 years old and has noticed a sharp decline in men and women signing up to volunteer.

"It seems like it's less and less people doing more and more work."

Chief Aukamp said his department has focused on branding and social media. They also work with the local high school to recruit students through the cadet program.

"You've got to build up a program that everyone is proud of and one they want to be a part of," he said. "It's about developing a sense of teamwork."

South Macon Fire Department also offers an auxiliary force. For people interested in learning more about the South Macon Fire Department, click here. For people interested in learning more about the Argenta-Oreana Fire Protection District, click here.