The nationwide number of volunteer firefighters has reached a historic low, placing growing pressure on fire departments across Arkansas, where the majority rely entirely on volunteers.

According to the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA), the United States has lost about 25% of its volunteer firefighters since 2008, with the National Volunteer Fire Council (NVFC) reporting the lowest volunteer numbers on record in 2023.

Steve Hirsch, chairman of the NVFC, attributed the decline to modern time constraints, noting that many families now have both parents working full-time.

“Mom and dad both have jobs,” Hirsch explained. “It becomes a little more difficult—the time constraints become a little more difficult on them.”

Arkansas, where 839 out of 945 fire departments are fully volunteer-based, is acutely feeling the effects. Only 31 fire departments in the state are staffed entirely by paid professionals, with 75 operating as a mix of career and volunteer crews.

Tyler Walls, a full-time firefighter and EMT in the West Memphis Fire Department and a captain in the Cherry Valley Fire Department in Cross County, has witnessed the challenges firsthand. He said Cherry Valley’s volunteer roster has dwindled over the past 12 years, dropping from about 20 firefighters to 12—with only a handful consistently available to respond to emergencies.

“There’s been many times where I’ve had a fire with, you know, two or three people there,” Walls said. “It was tough. … It’s a lot more work put on you.”

As community needs grow, the volume of emergency calls has also increased. Nationally, fire departments responded to about 42.2 million calls in 2023, more than doubling from 20.5 million in 2000, according to the NVFC. Walls noted that in Cherry Valley, medical calls now dominate the department’s workload, accounting for approximately 80% of their 150 annual calls.

The strain is not limited to smaller towns. In Independence County, Batesville Fire Chief Mark McCollum said volunteers are essential to maintaining operations, even in a hybrid department that combines paid and volunteer staff.

“We have 18 volunteers and 12 paid people plus me,” McCollum said. “We only have four people on duty at a time. … You can’t fight a structure fire with four people.”

To meet the needs of a major emergency, Batesville relies on a mutual aid agreement with neighboring departments, such as Southside, where volunteer turnout plays a critical role.

Independence County is also working to address staffing shortfalls with new training opportunities. The University of Arkansas Community College at Batesville launched its first firefighter rookie school, an initiative Walls called a positive step toward improving both individual skills and department readiness.

Walls emphasized the importance of building volunteer rosters to sustain the fire service.

“The fire service is a great thing. It’s the best job in the world. It really is,” Walls said.

The NVFC is also spearheading efforts to recruit new volunteers. Those interested in joining Arkansas fire departments can learn more at makemeafirefighter.org.