Jacksonville, AL -

 

The Jacksonville Fire Department is battling a blazing budget this week. There's not enough money - or volunteers - to get up to full staff. As the JFD sounds the alarm, this time it's a distress call coming from within the fire station. There aren't enough firefighters on staff and it could lead to dire consequences.

Interim Chief Steven Spoon says, "It could be a difference between life and death."

As the city's population grows in size the city's fire budget can't keep up. It pays for seven fire fighters per shift, but the department needs twice that many.

According to Spoon, "We don't have the personnel. The city cannot afford the personnel that it would require to have adequate staffing on scene of a fire."

So they're reaching out to the community looking for volunteer fire fighters, support personnel to run hoses and dispatchers to relay messages. They need twenty to thirty people to fill the empty coats hanging unused. Volunteering is a way to try on the suit so to speak. All the gear with an airpack attached weighs about eighty pounds. It's a tough job, but it's become a career path for a lot of people who have volunteered.

Spoon says, "A good portion of our career people did start as volunteers. It's a good way to get your feet wet to see whether you like it as a career."

Truman Norrad says, "It gets in your system."

He's worked with the department for thirty one years. He feels volunteers are a requirement.

According to Norrad, "The volunteers are just something you can't do without when you can't afford to staff a full crew."

Volunteers must be 18-years old and live within the Jacksonville Fire District. They will be trained for the job by the department. For more information call 256-435-2310 or stop by the fire department in downtown Jacksonville.

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