Volunteer firefighters stretched thin in Allegheny County, leaders say
Leaders say volunteer firefighters are being stretched thin in Allegheny County.
West Mifflin #3 Volunteer Fire Company is all volunteers. Chief Craig McDivett has 12 people in the company responding to more 911 calls than ever.
Already in 2025, the station has answered 153 calls, 13 more than this time last year, when it responded to a record-breaking 525 calls. That call number has gone up every year since 2021.
The chief says his volunteers are still able to respond to all those calls, but an Allegheny County leader says the times have changed and the fire service might have to change with them.
Now, Allegheny County Council President Pat Catena is sounding the alarm after nine people have died from fires in the county so far this year.
"A sense of urgency now," he said. "Having nine deaths in Allegheny County this year, that's a lot of deaths for fires. And that's really concerning, that really worries me."
Also concerning for Catena is the dwindling number of volunteer firefighters. The Office of the State Fire Commissioner says it's down to about 38,000 volunteers compared to more than 300,000 volunteers in the 1970s.
Catena said he is meeting with fire companies to get ideas on how to fix the problem.
"The volunteer fire services are at a critical mass at this point," Catena said. "We just don't have enough volunteers."
"My fear is the same thing that other chiefs fear: We are going to get dispatched to a call and nobody is going to show up," McDivett said.
He said getting volunteers and retaining them is difficult.
"We will set up a big display, and basically beg people to join," McDivett said.
And the equipment is expensive, leaders say.
"We have more firefighting apparatus in Allegheny County than basically all of New York City and the New York area combined," Catena said. "That's an astounding amount."
Chief McDivett believes the solution is to pay firefighters. Some departments are trying stipends or tax credits, but he feels those are temporary solutions to the problem.
