On life support: Volunteers are key to rural emergency response

I talk a lot about the importance of community in this column. As destructive storms moved through the heartland, neighbors came together to help pick up the pieces and support one another in times of need.

That is what neighbors do in rural communities. They pitch in. They volunteer.

In both Illinois and Indiana, a significant number of fire departments rely on volunteers. More than 65% of fire departments in Illinois are volunteer and nearly 77% in Indiana are volunteer. Some fire protection districts are a combination of both paid and volunteer firefighters.

Many volunteer firefighters are also trained and certified as emergency medical technicians. Many of those volunteer firefighters and first responders go through regular and oftentimes rigorous training, working individually and together as a team, so they are prepared for many scenarios in our rural communities.

Many volunteer fire departments are navigating through increased demand for their services along with increasing costs. Truck maintenance, especially with aging fleets, is costly. Replacement costs for new or used trucks are on the rise.

We all want our firefighters prepared to safely do their jobs, which means continued training of current and new volunteers. Costs of fuel, basic supplies and utilities have increased in the last few years.

My local fire protection district has received several grants in the past, but most of them have a matching dollar amount. They are currently struggling to make ends meet, as a large portion of their yearly budget is tied to the grant matching funds.

Their station needs indoor painting and replacement of worn flooring in the training areas. They need more concrete in their parking lot.

Although the makeup of a department varies widely across the Midwest’s geography, it is common to have several farmers who serve as volunteer firefighters.

In many cases, farmers who are not officially firefighters step up to help when needed. Their tractors, tillage equipment, bulldozers, skid steers and other equipment can be used to create fire breaks or clear paths for fire trucks and other emergency vehicles to get through to an area.

Farmers know the land. Although GPS has helped to change the game for the better in some areas, a farmer’s knowledge of the local terrain can be invaluable.

Generations-deep in the area, they are more likely to know the location and how to get there when a 911 caller reports an emergency “on the south side of the fence line between the old Barton farm and Sally Jones’ back 40.”

In a drought year especially, farmers who can, have “water on wheels.” They have water tanks filled and on wagons.

A couple of years ago, as fire raged along the Missouri River bottom not far from where I live, my neighbors raced to the area to turn on irrigation systems.

In a perfect world, you will never need to make a call for help. But ever do need them — just one time — you will not hesitate to vote in favor when your fire protection district asks for a slight increase on a property tax levy.