According to the International Association of Fire Fighters, the number of volunteer firefighters has dipped by 25% between 1984 and 2020.
Driven by the need for more volunteers, the Botetourt County Fire and EMS held a Citizens Academy to better prepare people for emergency situations and maybe make a volunteer first responder out of them.
Those who showed up at the Blue Ridge Fire Station Thursday afternoon got an inside look into Fire and EMS operations and learned more about what it means to be a volunteer first responder.
Meanwhile, Botetourt County Fire Chief Jason Ferguson and other first responders gave out CPR lessons and showed off their equipment.
The academy - which runs every Thursday until October 2nd - will teach students something new each week.
“They’re going to learn stop the bleed training, so what to do if somebody has been bleeding and how they can act and respond to that before responders arrive,” Chief Ferguson said." [They’ll also] learn about some special rescue situations and how we handle search and rescue incidents on the Appalachian trail and other places where people may be injured.”
The need for more volunteers was also highlighted.
“The trend of volunteerism declining across the nation has been real in Fire and EMS,” Chief Ferguson said. “We’re subject to the same trends here and anything we can do to bolster those numbers to get the citizens involved in their community, we’ll do it.”
While these students may not be volunteers, they have their own reasons for showing up.
One such student was Linda Rottman, who is hoping to freshen up on CPR skills.
“My husband is older than I am. If I were needing to help, he’s very careless. So I can see him having an issue and needing to help him,” Rottman said. “I really think we should be prepared sort of wherever you are so you can contribute and help out.”
Even if they don’t volunteer their services, they’ll be ready when trouble strikes.
“They are better equipped citizens out in the community who can better react to recognize emergencies and at least call for help,” Chief Ferguson said. “If they choose to react, they can be involved at that time.”
To learn more about the citizens academy or becoming a volunteer, check out the Botetourt Fire and EMS website.