LITTLE ROCK, Ark. (KATV) — A volunteer fire station in Saline County, Arkansas is raising money to help keep their station afloat, and purchase equipment necessary to save lives.
The Crows Fire & Rescue station is striving to keep serving their community, but without funding for new equipment their efforts could come to a halt.
When things happen to you. You’re kind of left in a lurch … you know, it’s just all of the sudden. You can’t prepare for that,” said Crows Fire & Rescue, DMR/Firefighter Tammy Schmidt.
“So, it’s really kind to have some neighbor such as a volunteer fire department help you. And it’s kind of … we also stay as neighbors … as community members and that makes a difference. It’s not just a job … it’s a calling.”
One of the over 900 volunteer stations across the state, the Crows Fire Department’s funding is limited and much of their already pre-owned gear is wearing out.
We have like second- and third-hand and fourth-hand equipment such as our apparatus … It’s just outrageously expensive. That’s why fundraising is very important to us and funds are very important to us,” Schmidt said.
Without up-to-date equipment, the station cannot operate at full efficiency, creating longer response times for local medical emergencies, accidents, and structure fires, diminishing help not only for their citizens but for other volunteer fire departments they partner with.
“We have to come with the apparatus that is qualified and up to standards to be able to do that. Like we have to be able to pump so much, so many gallons per hour or we have to be able to have our medical equipment be up to snuff, so it would be kind of a rock and a hard place,” Schmidt added.
The plight of the Crows Fire Department is not uncommon across the country. According to Dave Finger, chief of legislative and regulatory affairs of the National Volunteer Fire Council, 43% of fire stations in the U.S. are forty years old — with aging equipment to boot — which would require somewhere between $70 and $100 billion to replace and fully update.
On top of trying to fundraise for its operating cost, the 13-person crew at the fire station is looking to add more volunteers to its ranks.
I mean, there’s just so many roles in a volunteer fire department that people can fill: It’s just not all going into a fire … it also helps your community. It just makes you feel better that you’re helping your community,” Schmidt said.
They said the goal is to continue to save as many lives as possible.
“It’s person to person. It’s ensuring safety as well as comfort,” Schmidt said.
If they raise enough funds, the Crows Station is hoping to expand with an additional building.