Volunteer fire departments and volunteer emergency responder crews are a vital resource and a necessity in rural counties, and Jasper County Emergency Management is looking to add to the force to help keep the county safe.
The people who operate these departments donate time in the field, time training, and provide extremely useful experience in the field. They are likely to be the ones first on scene of an emergency, or the ones to save your life.
Jasper County has 15 dedicated volunteer fire departments - Bay Springs, Beaver Meadow, Central, H.A.L., Heidelberg, Lake Eddins, Louin, Montrose, Mossville, Northeast Jasper, Oak Bowery, Paulding, Rose Hill, and Stringer. Each department is in need of both firefighters and emergency medical responders, according to Jasper County Emergency Management Deputy Director and Fire Coordinator Hudson Jenkins.
“There is a shortage of volunteer firefighters and EMRs. My hope is for people to stop and think to themselves, ‘Maybe I can join my local fire department and give back to my community.’ I can’t say thank you enough to all the volunteer firefighters and EMRs in our great county. They truly are selfless heroes,” he explained.
Jenkins went on to reveal the importance of having volunteer firefighters and volunteer emergency medical responders in a rural area like Jasper County.
“In a rural county such as Jasper County, these volunteer firefighters and emergency medical responders are a vital asset to the county and the residents. If your house was to catch fire, they are the ones that drop what they are doing to extinguish the fire for their fellow neighbor,” he said. “If you have a medical emergency, they are the ones to respond and render first aid. Most medical emergencies, the emergency medical responders will arrive quicker than the ambulance.”
Jenkins also added volunteer fire departments also help keep insurance rates low for homeowners in the county.
“Contact your local fire department to see how you can make a positive impact in your community,” Jenkins said.
For more information on how to join a local volunteer fire department contact Jenkins at 601-764-3800.