MOREHEAD, Ky. — When the tones drop and a volunteer fire department is dispatched to a house fire, vehicle crash or medical emergency, firefighters don't stop to ask what diesel fuel costs that day.
They go.
But somebody eventually has to pay the bill.
Across Kentucky, rising gasoline and diesel prices are putting additional pressure on volunteer fire departments — including the small rural departments that protect communities throughout Eastern Kentucky.
And the numbers are becoming increasingly difficult to ignore.
As of Sept. 3, AAA reported Kentucky's average price for regular gasoline at approximately $3.85 per gallon, while diesel averaged approximately $5.38 per gallon. Nationally, diesel had climbed to about $5.78 per gallon.
For an ordinary motorist filling a 15- or 20-gallon tank, those increases hurt.
For a fire department filling a large diesel-powered engine, tanker or rescue truck — sometimes several vehicles for a single incident — the impact can be considerably greater.
A Problem That Hits Rural Kentucky Especially Hard
This isn't simply a problem for one fire department or one part of Kentucky.
Earlier this year, WKYT reported that volunteer departments were already struggling with funding and recruitment. According to figures cited by the station from the U.S. Fire Administration, approximately 75% of Kentucky fire departments are entirely volunteer-based.
That makes this an issue with particular significance in rural Eastern Kentucky.
Volunteer departments often operate on limited budgets while maintaining expensive apparatus and equipment. They must pay for fuel, insurance, utilities, protective equipment, hoses, maintenance, training and countless other necessities.
A fire engine doesn't become less expensive to operate because the people riding in it aren't drawing a paycheck.
And when diesel prices climb, departments don't have the luxury of simply deciding not to drive.
A structure fire still requires a response.
A serious wreck still requires firefighters.
A brush fire still has to be contained.
A family trapped by flooding still needs help.
When someone calls 911, the trucks have to roll.
The Volunteers Are Paying, Too
There's another part of this story that can easily be overlooked.
The firefighters themselves have to get to the station or emergency scene.
Volunteer firefighters aren't sitting in a firehouse waiting for the next alarm like firefighters in many larger paid departments. They may be at home, at work, eating supper or asleep when their pager sounds.
They get into their own vehicle and respond.
That means gasoline or diesel from their own tank and often their own pocket.
In rural Kentucky, where firefighters may travel considerable distances to reach a station or emergency scene, those costs can add up quickly.
They aren't doing it because of the paycheck.
For many of them, there isn't one.
They do it because when their neighbor's house catches fire at 2 a.m., somebody has to answer the call.
Departments Need More Than Money
There's another shortage affecting volunteer fire departments that money alone won't solve:
People.
Recruiting and retaining volunteer firefighters has become an ongoing challenge. WKYT reported in June that some Kentucky departments were struggling to get enough members available to consistently answer calls.
And that brings us to something we have said before at The Morehead Minute and believe is worth saying again.
If you live in a community protected by a volunteer fire department, there are two important ways you can help.
You can give your money.
And you can give your time.
If your local department holds a fundraiser, support it.
If they're selling food, buy a plate.
If they're collecting donations, give what you reasonably can.
Businesses can consider sponsoring or donating to their local departments. Even relatively small contributions become meaningful when they're multiplied across a community.
That $20 donation may not seem like much.
But put enough $20 donations together and you've bought another tank of fuel, helped replace damaged equipment or put money toward the next set of turnout gear.
And Maybe You Could Answer the Call
Not everyone can become a volunteer firefighter.
But more people probably could than realize it.
You don't necessarily have to arrive already knowing how to fight a fire. Departments train their members, and there are many jobs associated with emergency response beyond charging into a burning building.
If you've ever watched fire trucks pass your house and wondered what you could do to help your community, walk into your local volunteer fire department and ask.
Ask whether they're accepting members.
Ask what the requirements are.
Ask what training is available.
You may discover that they need exactly what you're willing to offer.
These Departments Belong to the Community
It's easy to take a volunteer fire department for granted.
The building is there.
The trucks are there.
And when something terrible happens, we expect someone to show up.
But those trucks don't run on gratitude.
They run on diesel and gasoline. They require maintenance. Firefighters need equipment and training. Buildings have electric bills and insurance bills.
And most importantly, the trucks don't drive themselves.
Behind the wheel and inside that turnout gear are often ordinary men and women who left their families, jobs, dinner tables and beds because someone they may not even know needed help.
With diesel now averaging more than $5 a gallon in Kentucky, supporting those departments matters even more.
So the next time your local volunteer fire department asks for donations, remember what that money helps make possible.
And the next time you see a sign saying they're looking for volunteers, don't automatically assume they're talking about somebody else.
They may be talking about you.
Because when the alarm sounds in rural Kentucky, somebody has to answer.
And keeping those trucks rolling — and putting firefighters on them — is ultimately a responsibility shared by the communities they protect.
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The Morehead Minute works to keep Eastern Kentucky informed about the issues affecting our communities—including the volunteers and organizations that are there when we need them most. This article has been made freely available as a public service. If you value independent local reporting, consider becoming a paid subscriber.
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