Fuel prices, inflation putting a squeeze on Ozark County’s volunteer fire departments

Declining fuel prices and a little rain over the weekend are both welcome sights for area volunteer fire departments.

A summer drought and soaring fuel prices have hit many volunteer fire departments where it hurts. The Ozark County Times reported last week on the Ozark County Sheriff’s Department cutting back on patrols due to high fuel and other costs. But for volunteer fire departments, there’s really no budget for fuel.

“We buy our own fuel for our personal vehicles to respond to fire and all calls,” said Tecumseh Volunteer Fire Department Chief Nathanael Winrod.

Winrod said he has noticed in the last 6 to 8 months that fewer firefighters on his squad have been responding to calls. 

“It used to be five or six would respond,” Winrod said. “Now a lot of times it’s just one or two.”

Sheriff Cass Martin said he responded to a crash recently where a local VFD was also paged out. “I responded to a motorcycle accident and a volunteer fire department didn’t respond,” Martin said. “I had my go bag and used my equipment to dress a head wound.”

The sheriff said a retired firefighter just happened to drive up on the crash and helped him at the scene. “If it hadn’t been for [the retired firefighter] I would have been on my own … and I’m not knocking the fire department because high fuel cost has killed us too,” Martin said.

The sheriff said he worries that with higher fuel and other costs that many volunteer firefighters who used to want to do it to serve their community will no longer be able to afford to volunteer. “I fear this will be a thing of the past,” the sheriff said.

Gainesville Fire Chief Ed Doiron agrees with the sheriff. While the Gainesville Fire Department does have a tax-supported budget (the only fire department in the county that does), many of its calls have been mutual aid calls outside the city where volunteer fire departments sometimes don’t respond.

“I can see in the not-so-distant future where Missouri does like Arkansas and creates fire protection districts and links fire department dues to property taxes,” Doiron said. He said most local VFDs have trouble finding volunteers and also struggle with property owners not paying fire department membership dues.

In Arkansas, property owners see a fire department fee on their property taxes that is determined by the assessed valuation of their property.

Winrod said membership dues for Tecumseh VFD is $45 per year, and they have about 300 paying members.

“The diesel fuel price for our equipment has really taken a toll,” Winrod said. “Usually we fill up the trucks when they get to half a tank. It used to cost about $200 when we were at half a tank to fill up one of the fire trucks … now it costs $500-$600. Sometimes we go through half a tank when we’re at a fire,” Winrod said.

Dora Fire Chief Monte Shipley said that he, too, has noticed fewer firefighters responding.

“We have 14 on our roster, but we only have about six of us that respond on a regular basis,” Shipley said.

Shipley, who has been a local firefighter for 36 years, said he wishes more young people would volunteer.

“We’re seeing volunteers who are retirees that are in their 60s or 70s,” Shipley said. 

“The firefighters are driving their personal vehicles, so a lot of the younger ones just probably can’t afford it when gas gets so expensive,” Shipley said. “I totally understand.”

Shipley said Dora VFDs dues are $45 per year and they have about 250 paying members.

Doiron said the Gainesville Fire Department has eight on its roster, with about four who used to regularly show up for calls. “Now it’s one or two - or none,” Doiron said.

Doiron said he has implemented some measures to cut fuel costs, such as training closer to the base, not taking extra trucks and just being mindful of his travel.

“In this economy we all have to watch what we spend,” Doiron said.

 

 

Want to volunteer or pay dues?

Below is a list of local volunteer fire departments and numbers to call if you’d like to volunteer or find out about paying membership dues:

Bakersfield VFD 417-712-1990

Brixey-Rockbridge VFD 1-612-999-8270

Caney Mountain VFD 417-712-1557 or 417-712-0021

Caulfield VFD 1-417-719-9911

Cloud 9 Ranch VFD 1-417-204-2155

Dora VFD 417-989-9140

Gainesville VFD (City hall) 417-679-4858

Lick Creek VFD 417-679-4577

Pontiac/Price Place VFD 417-679-2999

Tecumseh VFD 417-255-4893 or 417-293-1819

Theodosia Area VFD 417-989-0250

Thornfield VFD 1-417-527-1117

Timber Knob VFD 417-989-9708

Wasola VFD 417-989-0607

Ozark County Times

504 Third Steet
PO Box 188
Gainesville, MO 65655

Phone: (417) 679-4641
Fax: (417) 679-3423