Durham Highway Fire Department encourages people to volunteer

RALEIGH, N.C. — Volunteer firefighters make up 65% of the U.S. Fire Service, according to the National Volunteer Fire Council.

In North Carolina, a number of communities rely on volunteers to respond to all types of emergencies. 

A majority of fire departments in the United States are volunteer departments.

From structure and wildland fires to vehicle crashes, medical emergencies and natural disasters, these men and women show up and get to work.

Durham Highway Fire Department volunteer Craig Dunkley said after he’s done saving lives with the fire department, he heads to his job as a full-time marketing expert.

“If I have to stay late from a shift, and because of a fire or some situation like that, and I start work late, I’ll just work later in the evening to sort of cover the hours,” Dunkley said.

Many volunteers work 12 to 16 hours a month depending on the department’s needs. They receive small stipends and benefits, such as a state pension plan.

Luckily for Dunkley, he doesn’t volunteer for the money. He said he does the job for the community, camaraderie and commitment.

“My kids always thought it was pretty cool. My wife took a little bit of convincing, because I’d had a busy job beforehand. And then when I started adding this on, she was like, ‘when are you going to be home?’ But we all worked it out,” Dunkley said.

The National Volunteer Fire Council said a community’s population determines whether it gets a volunteer fire department.

The agency said large communities with over 100,000 people are protected by departments that consist of primarily paid staff.

Assistant Chief Mac Schultz said with the growing population in the Triangle, many volunteer departments need more people.

Dunkley, who began volunteering six years ago, encourages volunteering. 

“You have to make time not only for being here at the station to run calls and do your duty, but also for training, because we all train to a pretty high standard. There’s a lot of hours that go into that. And also, you have to make time to maintain your own physical fitness,” Dunkley said.

Durham Highway Fire Department is actively seeking volunteer firefighters.

All training and certifications will be provided free of charge. Prior training is not needed.

In addition, the NVFC launched the national junior firefighter program in 2007, and it’s still active.

The goal is to get more youth interested in the fire service.