Chester County’s Shortage of Volunteer Firefighters Becoming Its Own Emergency

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Many fire departments in Chester County are struggling to meet their staffing needs when it comes to volunteer firefighters. The shortage puts the county in crisis mode without an easy fix, writes Kelly Rule for FOX29.

“We’re on life support when it comes to finding volunteers,” said West Chester Fire Department Chief Steve Pelna.

His all-volunteer department currently numbers around 15; Pelna said they need double that.

One of the biggest issues is the lack of affordable housing in the borough.

“House prices, specifically in the West Chester area, are skyrocketing, so individuals are having a hard time affording that,” he said.

The situation is especially worrying as the number of calls continues to increase while the number of volunteers continues to fall.

To combat this issue, the West Chester Fire Department has begun a program that allows firefighters to live at the firehouse at no cost in exchange for helping with recruitment.

If the situation does not improve soon, taxpayers might have to pay some fire departments’ operational costs.

“It’s absolutely going to affect each and every one of us,” said Pelna.

Read more about the shortage of volunteer firefighters at FOX29.

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