Firefighter Shayne Honea and James Vaughn practice skills associated with firefighting at the Camden Park subdivision. (Wyndi Veigel/The Farmersville Times)
A drop in volunteer firefighters across Texas, especially in eastern Collin County, is a growing concern among fire chiefs in the area.
Nationally, the number of volunteer firefighters has decreased about 8.25 percent since 1984, according to the National Volunteer Fire Council, and the surge of volunteers that applied post 9/11 has waned.
Across the nation, 70 percent of all firefighters are volunteers, the National Fire Protection Agency reports.
In Farmersville, the fire department employs a fulltime paid fire chief and firefighter to cover the daytime shift from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday due to volunteer firefighters working outside the community.
By Wyndi Veigel • News Editor • [email protected]
For the full story see the Feb. 7 edition or subscribe online.
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