Volunteer Firefighter Shortage In South Louisiana

(KHLA - Lake Charles, Louisiana) - A rising concern in SWLA, according to area fire departments, is that fewer volunteers are stepping up to help.

According to officials, these shortages have persisted for a long time and are a common problem in many departments not only in SWLA but across the country.

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Ward 6 Fire Department Chief Todd Parker told KPLC:

Late 90s, early 2000s, we had approximately 50 volunteers. Today, Ward 6 fire department is staffed by 17 volunteers.

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According to departments throughout the area, those figures are just insufficient to handle the volume of calls. Area fire chiefs caution that their capacity to respond to emergencies is being strained by the lack of volunteers.

Many volunteer departments in the area are being impacted by the shortages, and fire chiefs are searching for ways to include the community in finding solutions.

Houston River Fire Chief Dean Lappe told KPLC that most SWLA residents don't realize that their fire departments are run mostly by volunteers.

He went on to say that the misconception of all fire stations in SWLA being staffed by paid employees makes recruiting even harder in the area.

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