Ranlo Fire and Rescue receives grant to go toward recruiting
More than 80% of North Carolina’s firefighters are volunteers.
When someone makes the decision to volunteer their time as a firefighter, balancing their full-time job with their emergency service work is not easy.
Ranlo Fire and Rescue’s Assistant Chief Bryan Falls believes the lack of time and the lack of pay are two of the biggest challenges for aspiring firefighters.
The department was recently selected for a grant that will hopefully aid them in bringing new firefighters on board.
“It’s hard to get new people in here,” Falls said. “They want it to be a full-time job, and it’s not.”
Following the beginning of the pandemic in 2020, the number of volunteer firefighters began to dwindle.
According to information from the North Carolina Association of Fire Chiefs, North Carolina has lost 4,963 volunteer firefighters since 2020.
Although the need for volunteers at Ranlo’s fire station is more of an ongoing need than an outcome of the pandemic, Falls confirms that the industry has definitely been impacted since 2020.
Earlier this year, the NCAFC announced that they had received the Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response (SAFER) Recruitment and Retention grant.
FEMA, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s Federal Emergency Management Agency granted the NCAFC more than $800,000 to hopefully grow the number of volunteer firefighters in the state.
The money is specifically set to target 11 fire stations or associations that have the most need, one of which is Ranlo Fire and Rescue.
The recruitment and retention grant is to be distributed over the course of two years.
“It is assisting us with the tools to bring in new members and gave us promotional opportunities,” Falls said. “It gives us the tools to kind of get out and recruit new volunteer firefighters.”
Falls said that while there are many challenges to becoming a volunteer firefighter, the work is worth it.
“It’s very rewarding,” Falls said. “Once you get in and are invested, it is very rewarding.”
Over the next two years, Gaston County is likely to see Ranlo Fire and Rescue out and recruiting.
Anyone interested in volunteering with the department can reach out to 704-824-4086, or pay a visit to the station located at 1710 Spencer Mountain Road.
This article originally appeared on The Gaston Gazette: Ranlo Fire and Rescue receives grant to go toward recruiting
