Watching the recent fires in California was frightening, as were the fires in Hawaii last year, but the firefighters there were heroic. None of us want to believe something like that could ever happen to us. However, if it did we would certainly want people like those we saw coming to the rescue in California rushing to save us. The same is true regarding accidents and other medical emergencies.

The pressing question is – are there enough nearby firefighters and Emergency Medical Technicians (EMTs) available to rescue us?

Consider yourself fortunate if you’ve never had to make a call to emergency services. Those who may need this assistance in the future may want to think about who will come to their aid. We tend to expect our rescuers to look like the young robust people we watch on television and in movies.

Imagine if your house was on fire or you were hurt and trapped in a crushed car and the people who arrived to rescue you were all elderly. That’s exactly what you should expect in at least one Chautauqua County community, if not more. Sound unbelievable? It’s becoming a new reality in some communities and if something doesn’t change fast it will become a truly dire situation. That’s because nearly 94% of Chautauqua County emergency services staff are volunteers and as they age out of service there aren’t enough younger folks volunteering to replace them. Eventually, in the not-too-distant future, there may not be anyone left to save you.

In the past, firefighter and emergency services volunteerism was generational, meaning many volunteer firefighters and EMTs followed their parents or other family members into this service role on their community’s squad. Not as many people are doing that as were in the past. This presents a huge challenge. It’s compounded by a reduction in the number of people doing volunteer work across the board, people moving away from the area, fewer employers willing or able to release employees from work schedules to respond to calls, the training time commitment, new regulations, and the cost of everything.

We expect a lot of emergency services staff and volunteers. They are required to complete a lot of training and earn certifications. They must be available at the drop of a hat to rescue us, whether that’s a personal medical emergency, a fire, or any number of unexpected dangerous situations like pulling us out of a lake, a flood, a chemical spill, or a car accident. Then they must be available to get us safely to hospitals. The time commitment alone is a real challenge, especially for volunteers because most have jobs.

As singular communities and members of the larger county community, we must come together to remove barriers to volunteerism, recruit more volunteers, and make the best use of the volunteers we do have.

There are different types of fire departments in Chautauqua County. Some are village- or city-owned. Others are part of a fire district which means they are part of a municipal taxing district and some are independent, meaning they are their own entity, and have contracts for areas with the corresponding municipal agencies.

Before 2024 there were 42 fire departments in Chautauqua County. Now there are 40. Thirty-seven of them are composed entirely of volunteers and one is 50% volunteer. Last year the Mayville, Hartfield, and Dewittville fire departments merged to form the North Lake Fire Department. It took them less than a year. They knew they had a manpower need, so they started to automatically dispatch upon initial calls. Consequently, more manpower was responding. It proved they could serve their communities better if they merged. In the short time since the formation of this new department, they’ve found not only has the response to calls for manpower greatly increased, but there’s also been a renewed interest in volunteering from people wanting to be part of something new and exciting.

The merger has also opened new doors to grant opportunities, especially FEMA and state grants that encourage merging or favor newly merged departments. Mergers can also reduce operational costs, including significant insurance savings. Mergers are just one way to improve service and cope with volunteer shortages.

The Northern Chautauqua Community Foundation’s Local Economic Development committee believes more effort must go into volunteer recruitment. Little is nobler than saving the lives and property of your neighbors. We need to work together to encourage more volunteerism across all of our community services programs, especially when it comes to fire and emergency medical services.

Patty Hammond is Economic Development Coordinator at the Northern Chautauqua Community Foundation. The Local Economic Development (LED) Initiative is a standing committee of the Northern Chautauqua Community Foundation (NCCF). Send comments or suggestions to Patty Hammond at phammond@nccfoundation.org