HEARNE, Texas (KRHD) — The Wheelock Volunteer Fire Department is an organization that serves Robertson County, and they are looking for neighbors in Hearne to step up and join the team.
- According to the National Volunteer Fire Council website, volunteers comprise 65 percent of firefighters in the United States.
- The Wheelock Volunteer Fire Department has a business meeting every second Monday of the month, and a training meeting every fourth Monday of the month
BROADCAST TRANSCRIPT:
"To us, it's not about really the money, it's about protecting our community and helping out the ways we can," said Wheelock Volunteer Fire Department Training Officer, William Allen Huggins.
Robertson County is home to the Wheelock Volunteer Fire Department.
"A lot of departments that you have, especially in this county and Robert County area, is a full 100 percent volunteer," Huggins said.
Neighbors in Hearne spend some their time dedicated to helping the community.
"Everything we do here for this community," Huggins said.
"Running these calls, early morning, late nights, afternoons, whenever it is, is completely 100 percent free of service."
Wheelock Volunteer Fire Department Training Officer, William Allen Huggins, has been in the fire service his whole life.
"I got into the volunteer fire department back when I was 17," he said.
"I was born and raised in the fire service — I always had a passion to do this."
Huggins tells 15ABC that one of the biggest issues his crew has had recently, is finding neighbors to volunteer.
"It's hard to get people to volunteer," Huggins said.
"When they hear that word volunteer, they're like, well, I ain't getting paid — I don't want to do it."
But the Wheelock Volunteer Fire Department is sounding the alarm for help.
The lack of volunteers not only affects the safety of the community, but also delays the response time.
"We'll respond from home or respond from work, whatever we can do," Huggins said.
"It's a little longer response time just because of that we're volunteered."
Huggins tells 15ABC what the hardest part of starting at the fire department is —
"The hardest part about starting out to volunteer is walking through that door, that's the biggest fear that everybody's got," he said.
