Many organizations throughout the U.S. are getting used to staffing issues, but here in Kansas, there’s one in particular that can’t afford shortages – the fire department. Specifically, volunteer firefighters are hard to find. Russel Stuckey, the Riley County Emergency Management Director, spoke with County Commissioners to let them know the situation is rough on Monday. He says that the department currently has around 110 volunteers, but the goal is to have between 160 to 170. With the intense fire season, volunteers are seeing burnout with a high level of fatigue. This becomes a major problem when forces are low, especially due to how quickly fires need to be responded to.
Source: KSNT 27 News
