Volunteer hours equal 14 full-time workers
Last year, the volunteers of the Whitesboro Fire Department (WFD) contributed a whopping 30,624 hours to the community.
With just under 40 volunteers currently on the roster, this averages to just over 850 hours last year per volunteer, or an average of just over 16 hours a week per firefighter. These volunteer hours were spent performing numerous functions, including training, responding to calls, participating in community events and committing to overnight shifts at the fire station.
While the fire department has a paid career EMS staff and daytime firefighters, the department and city still rely heavily on volunteers for fire coverage and response. Every night in Whitesboro, there are shifts staffed by volunteers that provide 12 hours of fire and emergency medical coverage, beginning at 6 p.m. and lasting through 6 a.m. the next morning.
The shifts range from 3-7 firefighters nightly, and an officer and paramedic are included on every shift. Time on shifts is spent training, checking equipment, reviewing operating guidelines and medical protocols, and usually some fellowship around the dinner table with the EMS shifts. Many of the shift members stay overnight at the fire station to allow for better response, while others will respond from their homes as needed.
The shifts were initiated several years ago under the guidance of Assistant Chief Jeff Patterson. He had experienced the volunteer shift coverage in the past, and hoped to be able to effectively roll that out in the Whitesboro Fire Department. The shifts were well received and have been extremely successful by the members of the department. The volunteer hours are tracked via emergency call reports, training documentation and the computer-based scheduling system that is used by the career staff at the department.
In a day when volunteerism is on the decline, the City of Whitesboro and surrounding areas are very fortunate to be able to benefit from the dedicated volunteers at WFD.
The contribution of over 30,000 hours is also a huge saving to the city and surrounding communities.
To put it in perspective, the typical full-time employee who puts in 40 hours a week puts in 2,080 hours annually. The 30,624 volunteer hours put in by WFD members is the equivalent of having 14 full-time employees working 40-hour weeks.
As 2024 is well underway, the fire department shows no sign of slowing down.