Volunteer Firefighter Week: How local volunteers improve response times across Madison County
JACKSON, Tenn. — Tennessee is observing Volunteer Firefighter Week, recognized every first full week of March, and the Madison County Fire Department is among those marking the occasion.
The department relies on both full-time and volunteer firefighters, with volunteers currently outnumbering full-time staff. More than 100 volunteers are spread across the county.
Madison County Fire Chief Eric Turner said the geographic spread of volunteers is a direct benefit to the department.
“It increases the response time because those people live in the communities throughout the whole county and they live close to those fire stations,” Turner said. “They can get there and get that truck and get to the scene very quickly, so without them our response time would be a lot longer.”
Turner said volunteers are held to the same standards as full-time firefighters and respond to the same range of calls.
“They respond to wrecks, medical calls, fire calls just like all of our full time people,” Turner said.
Department looking to add volunteers
Turner said the department could not operate without its volunteer force.
“We’re limited on our full time personnel, so if it wasn’t for our volunteers there’s no way we could make it,” Turner said.
The Madison County Fire Department is currently accepting applications for volunteer firefighters. Those interested can call 731-424-5577.
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