Area volunteer fire departments are in need of more help.
The lack of manpower at these volunteer fire departments has hit some stations hard.

"Every second counts when you're in a fire or an emergency," says Lieutenant of the Lowell Volunteer Fire Department, Jeremiah Francis.

An emergency that could mean life or death.
Local Volunteer Fire Departments are looking for more people help respond during those crucial times.

"I'm able bodied and there's a need. I have a daughter, I have a family and when I'm at work there's guys that are going to come and help them.. Well this is something you can do. It's helping your community and it's a way of giving back," says Francis.

Coolville was recently forced to close down their substation without volunteers to man it.

"It seems like the older guys are retiring and there's not as many young guys coming up to replace them. It seems like nobody has the interest anymore, you know what I mean," Francis explains.

The close down means longer response time.
The interest in volunteering has become a problem throughout the nation.

"Volunteer fire departments have lost twenty to forty percent of volunteers," says Francis.

It's not an easy job... hard work and determination doesn't describe everyone.

"Kind of be a self starter, be able to follow directions, have a good attitude. You've got to have the willingness to help, I mean... you kind of have to have a strong stomach. There's a lot of things that you'll see that'll kind of get to you, you just have to figure out how to get through those, see your way through it," says Francis.

If you're wanting to volunteer but haven't hit that 18 year old mark yet, many stations have junior firefighters.
They go on runs and so the same training, getting them excited for when the time does come.