Volunteer fire companies face challenge of finding new members while dealing with increase in calls
WKBW TV | Buffalo, NY
[{'start': '0.000', 'end': '4.240', 'text': 'Here tonight, we are digging into the'}, {'start': '1.439', 'end': '6.520', 'text': 'difficulty for volunteer EMS crews to'}, {'start': '4.240', 'end': '8.960', 'text': 'keep up with emergencies in our'}, {'start': '6.520', 'end': '11.120', 'text': 'communities. Across New York, nearly'}, {'start': '8.960', 'end': '14.160', 'text': 'half of the emergency response agencies'}, {'start': '11.120', 'end': '16.480', 'text': 'are staffed entirely by volunteers. And'}, {'start': '14.160', 'end': '19.199', 'text': 'from before the pandemic to after, the'}, {'start': '16.480', 'end': '20.680', 'text': 'number of active EMS responders went'}, {'start': '19.199', 'end': '23.439', 'text': 'down by'}, {'start': '20.680', 'end': '26.080', 'text': '17.5%. Meanwhile, at the Evans Center'}, {'start': '23.439', 'end': '28.960', 'text': 'volunteer fire company, in the past year'}, {'start': '26.080', 'end': '30.880', 'text': 'or so, the number of calls has doubled.'}, {'start': '28.960', 'end': '33.600', 'text': '7 News senior reporter Maki Becker spent'}, {'start': '30.880', 'end': '35.520', 'text': 'the day with volunteers in Evans and'}, {'start': '33.600', 'end': '38.760', 'text': 'they have this important message for the'}, {'start': '35.520', 'end': '38.760', 'text': 'rest of us.'}, {'start': '42.000', 'end': '46.559', 'text': 'A car on fire at the Throughway rest'}, {'start': '44.160', 'end': '49.039', 'text': 'stop in Angola and the Evans Center'}, {'start': '46.559', 'end': '52.079', 'text': 'Volunteer Fire Company was there to put'}, {'start': '49.039', 'end': '54.800', 'text': 'it out. Hi. Hi Maki. How are you? A'}, {'start': '52.079', 'end': '57.360', 'text': "little better now. Okay. That's Tiger"}, {'start': '54.800', 'end': '59.920', 'text': 'Schmittenorf, a longtime member of Evans'}, {'start': '57.360', 'end': '62.800', 'text': 'Center Fire. Uh we just dispatched for a'}, {'start': '59.920', 'end': '64.960', 'text': 'vehicle fire here in the uh upon service'}, {'start': '62.800', 'end': '67.119', 'text': 'area of the New York State Mole Lake.'}, {'start': '64.960', 'end': '69.439', 'text': 'Luckily, no one was injured, but the car'}, {'start': '67.119', 'end': '71.600', 'text': 'was destroyed. A busy day for the fire'}, {'start': '69.439', 'end': '74.000', 'text': 'crew and those days have been getting'}, {'start': '71.600', 'end': '77.200', 'text': 'busier. In the last 2 years, our call'}, {'start': '74.000', 'end': '81.280', 'text': 'volume doubled and uh the percentage of'}, {'start': '77.200', 'end': '83.920', 'text': 'EMS calls increased from about uh 73% to'}, {'start': '81.280', 'end': '85.840', 'text': "86%. and that's putting even more of a"}, {'start': '83.920', 'end': '87.759', 'text': 'demand on fire companies who are working'}, {'start': '85.840', 'end': '90.400', 'text': 'hard to make sure they have enough'}, {'start': '87.759', 'end': '93.520', 'text': 'members. He said one way folks can help'}, {'start': '90.400', 'end': '95.680', 'text': 'is to think about calling 911 and when'}, {'start': '93.520', 'end': '99.119', 'text': "not to. We'd never want folks to"}, {'start': '95.680', 'end': '101.439', 'text': 'hesitate dialing 911. Um but we prefer'}, {'start': '99.119', 'end': '105.040', 'text': 'that it is for a true emergency. Uh'}, {'start': '101.439', 'end': '108.320', 'text': "keeping in mind 911 is not 411. It's not"}, {'start': '105.040', 'end': '109.840', 'text': "information and uh it's also not 211."}, {'start': '108.320', 'end': '112.560', 'text': 'Among the younger members of the fire'}, {'start': '109.840', 'end': '115.280', 'text': 'company is Emma Gian. In February, she'}, {'start': '112.560', 'end': '117.920', 'text': 'got her EMT certification in the same'}, {'start': '115.280', 'end': '120.000', 'text': 'day she saved someone who was in cardiac'}, {'start': '117.920', 'end': '122.159', 'text': 'arrest. Just got home, was sitting'}, {'start': '120.000', 'end': '124.159', 'text': 'around doing nothing. The tones dropped'}, {'start': '122.159', 'end': '125.399', 'text': 'for a cardiac arrest. I was out the door'}, {'start': '124.159', 'end': '127.920', 'text': 'within a'}, {'start': '125.399', 'end': '130.080', 'text': 'minute. Went on the ambulance was one'}, {'start': '127.920', 'end': '131.680', 'text': "the first crew there. It's exhilarating."}, {'start': '130.080', 'end': '134.480', 'text': "It's nice to know that you can save"}, {'start': '131.680', 'end': '137.040', 'text': 'somebody. Tiger says his fire company'}, {'start': '134.480', 'end': '139.120', 'text': 'and many others across Western New York'}, {'start': '137.040', 'end': '140.640', 'text': 'are looking for new recruits. Think'}, {'start': '139.120', 'end': '142.400', 'text': 'about it. And what other volunteering'}, {'start': '140.640', 'end': '144.720', 'text': 'opportunity can you literally knock'}, {'start': '142.400', 'end': '146.800', 'text': "somebody's door down and they send you a"}, {'start': '144.720', 'end': '149.280', 'text': 'thank you note afterwards? Fires are'}, {'start': '146.800', 'end': '152.000', 'text': "exciting, but Tiger says that's not the"}, {'start': '149.280', 'end': '154.040', 'text': 'best part. Sitting around after call'}, {'start': '152.000', 'end': '156.720', 'text': 'sharing'}, {'start': '154.040', 'end': '160.000', 'text': 'stories, rehydrating, getting some water'}, {'start': '156.720', 'end': '162.000', 'text': 'in us uh after the fire. Uh but also'}, {'start': '160.000', 'end': '165.280', 'text': 'just sharing our personal lives and our'}, {'start': '162.000', 'end': '167.599', 'text': "experiences and and really it's a it's a"}, {'start': '165.280', 'end': '169.280', 'text': 'family atmosphere.'}, {'start': '167.599', 'end': '170.400', 'text': 'and Maki is here live with me tonight.'}, {'start': '169.280', 'end': '171.760', 'text': 'So, one of the interesting things that'}, {'start': '170.400', 'end': '173.519', 'text': 'happened today as you were having these'}, {'start': '171.760', 'end': '175.280', 'text': 'discussions with these folks is they'}, {'start': '173.519', 'end': '177.599', 'text': 'they really want to try to dispel'}, {'start': '175.280', 'end': '179.360', 'text': 'something that many of us think is true'}, {'start': '177.599', 'end': '180.959', 'text': 'about emergency response, but that is'}, {'start': '179.360', 'end': '182.879', 'text': "not. That's right. This has to do with"}, {'start': '180.959', 'end': '184.959', 'text': 'medical calls, which is what they mostly'}, {'start': '182.879', 'end': '187.599', 'text': 'do. And they say that a lot of people'}, {'start': '184.959', 'end': '189.840', 'text': 'mistakenly think that if you arrive by'}, {'start': '187.599', 'end': '192.080', 'text': "ambulance to a hospital that you're"}, {'start': '189.840', 'end': '194.480', 'text': 'going to be seen quicker. And Tiger'}, {'start': '192.080', 'end': '197.519', 'text': "tells me that's absolutely not true."}, {'start': '194.480', 'end': '200.159', 'text': 'That triage happens in the ER too and'}, {'start': '197.519', 'end': '201.840', 'text': 'they always prioritize by how sick or'}, {'start': '200.159', 'end': '203.280', 'text': 'hurt you are. It has nothing to do with'}, {'start': '201.840', 'end': '204.800', 'text': "the ambulance. So don't call an"}, {'start': '203.280', 'end': '206.080', 'text': "ambulance if you don't need one. That's"}, {'start': '204.800', 'end': '207.920', 'text': 'the whole point. Right. Absolutely. But'}, {'start': '206.080', 'end': '209.200', 'text': 'if you need one, yes, absolutely call.'}, {'start': '207.920', 'end': '212.720', 'text': 'If you need it, do it. All right. Great'}, {'start': '209.200', 'end': '212.720', 'text': 'story, Maki. Thanks so much. Appreciate'}]