Local fire departments need volunteers amid nationwide shortage

Fire departments throughout Duplin County are actively seeking new recruits as departments nationwide face a steady decline in volunteer firefighters.

Community involvement plays a critical role in ensuring public safety for the county’s volunteer fire and rescue teams, owing to a long-standing tradition of neighborly support — though many of the surrounding areas and municipalities employ career or paid firefighters, all but two of the 20 active fire departments in Duplin County are operated on a volunteer basis.

“We’re in a very unique situation in Duplin County,” remarked Cody Herring, Fire Training Coordinator with James Sprunt Community College’s Fire Academy, who says several factors have contributed to the shortage locally, including out-of-county work commutes and rigorous training standards.

For much of Duplin County’s history, volunteers in tight-knit communities have dedicated themselves to ensuring the public’s safety and well-being, often sacrificing time with family to answer life-saving calls.

“A lot of people don’t know these guys and girls work a full-time job. People are having to drive to Wilmington, Jacksonville, Goldsboro to work, so it’s harder for them to make the calls,” said Herring, adding that for a growing number of Americans, finding time to volunteer can be challenging, especially when some have to work two or three jobs to make ends meet.

Volunteers are also required to undergo extensive training—often comparable to that of career firefighters, with some certifications recommended by the North Carolina Department of Insurance requiring over 500 hours of training.

“We’re trying to help bridge that gap here,” said Herring, adding that departments are working to combat the shortage by educating the public on fire safety and by bolstering recruitment efforts through events, marketing and social media. “We’re hoping we can train local people and keep local people here.”

Herring indicated that volunteer departments throughout the nation are facing similar challenges — and often for similar reasons. “It’s not really just here; It’s an everywhere problem,” he said, indicating that more could be done to better educate members of the community on the process of becoming a firefighter.

In a recent call to action, Chief Matthew Casey of the Chinquapin Volunteer Fire & Rescue Squad highlighted the potential consequences of the recruitment shortage on Duplin County’s emergency response teams, emphasizing the need for courageous individuals ready to serve and protect their communities.