ROWAN COUNTY, Ky. (LEX NEWS) — Rowan County is stepping up to support the volunteer firefighters who protect its communities by having paid volunteers.
Many volunteer firefighters juggle full-time jobs and family responsibilities alongside emergency calls.
"Full time job always has to come first, and family has to come first," Terry Kidd, a volunteer firefighter, said.
This is the first year Rowan County is trying a program that allows to pay two volunteers. The fiscal court is using general fund money to pay firefighters to stay at the station during times when volunteer coverage can be hard to guarantee.
All four volunteer departments in the county will be part of the effort. At Hayes Crossing-Haldeman Volunteer Fire Department, firefighters say the impact is already showing.
"It's one of the best things our county could have done," Volunteer firefighter Montana Caudill said.
Caudill said the staffed stations are making a measurable difference in how quickly crews can respond.
"An EMS run, it's a typical 10 to 15 minute response, if not more, depending where you are in your county. With us being at the station, we turn that to five to 10 minutes," Caudill said.
Firefighters say the program also means fewer calls go unanswered.
"I'm here. I've made more runs in the last two weeks than I have done in the last six months," Kidd said.
Having 2 volunteers stationed at the firehouse also creates an opportunity to train new recruits. With experienced firefighters on site, new volunteers can complete their mandatory training hours faster, allowing them to get cleared to respond with crews sooner.
The county also hopes the program will help grow the overall number of volunteers across Rowan County.
For now, county officials are going to learn as they go with it being the first year of doing this program. Firefighters hope that this program will be a long term investment.
"I hope the Fiscal Court sees this as a true benefit and continues to financially subsidize this," Kidd said.
For these volunteers, the paycheck isn't the main motivation. They want to make sure that when someone calls for help, there's someone ready to answer.
If you want to become a volunteer firefighter, reach out to your local fire department.
Alex Barber is committed to covering stories in your community that matter to you. If you have an idea, reach out to him at alex.barber@wlex.tv
