01/15/2026
🚨🚨Recently the North county and we are not far behind has been on a fire fight for money for paid staff. Here is an article that reflects some that and our local VOLUNTEER fire departments Pleasant Grove and East Nicolaus.
As the fire Chief I encourage you all to read this and pass it along please.
🔥 Do Volunteer Fire Departments Really Matter?
The fire service isn’t divided by paid versus volunteer — it’s united by response.
Fire protection isn’t one-size-fits-all, and that’s why both volunteer and paid fire departments exist.
Paid fire departments are typically found in cities and high-density areas where call volume can be higher and the tax base supports full-time staffing around the clock. In those environments, having firefighters on duty 24/7 isn’t just helpful... it’s necessary.
Volunteer fire departments protect smaller towns and rural communities where call volume, geography, and funding make full-time staffing unrealistic. That doesn’t mean the risk is lower, it means the response model is different.
Volunteer firefighters train to the same standards, respond to the same emergencies, and carry the same responsibility, often while balancing careers, families, and life outside the station.
Different communities require different models.
Both are essential.
Both save lives.
And here’s the part we don't talk about enough:
Volunteer fire departments depend on community support to exist at all.
That support doesn’t always mean putting on turnout gear. It can look like:
Attending fundraisers and community events
Donating when and where you’re able
Volunteering behind the scenes (administration, fundraising, events)
Supporting local fire companies on social media
Teaching kids early to respect the fire service
When the tones drop, no one on scene is asking whether the firefighter stepping off the truck is paid or volunteer — only that they showed up.
Supporting your local fire department means supporting the people who put themselves in harm's way to protect you.
🚒❤️
