Maine Fire Departments Struggle as Volunteer Numbers Plummet

Fire departments across Maine are increasingly struggling to find enough firefighters, forcing some towns to call neighboring departments for assistance, according to WGME.

“We really could use more firefighters,” said Yarmouth Deputy Fire Chief Brandon Walker. Currently, the department has just 15 volunteer firefighters, the lowest number Walker has seen in his career.

While the Yarmouth Fire Department is fully staffed with full-time firefighters, the volume and intensity of calls have made it clear that more help is needed. “There are several calls that require extensive amounts of manpower,” Walker explained. “We have been relying on our neighbors more frequently.”

WGME reported that this challenge isn’t unique to Yarmouth. Maine Fire Chief Association President Bill Gillespie said the state has seen a dramatic decline in volunteer firefighters over the years.

“We’ve drastically lost people,” Gillespie said. He notes that Maine once had more than 10,000 volunteers, but today the number has dropped to fewer than 5,000. “Firefighting is very intensive,” he added. “I don’t see the workforce today being interested in working very odd hours.”

Efforts to recruit volunteers have been ongoing for years, yet results have been limited. Gillespie suggests part of the problem may lie within the departments themselves. “Some departments just want to hire paramedics, and there aren’t enough paramedics going through school right now,” he said.

In contrast, WGME said that Yarmouth’s department does not require an EMS certification for volunteers, allowing them to accept any willing helpers. Walker noted that during particularly busy days, he sometimes jumps into a truck himself to provide support.

To address the shortage, some departments are now offering higher pay to attract more full-time firefighters and make up for the loss of volunteers. However, officials say there is no single solution, and the state’s firefighting community continues to adapt to the ongoing challenges.