KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — Volunteer fire departments make up the majority of fire departments across Tennessee, often doing dangerous work for nothing more than to be of service. During the holidays, volunteer firefighters may spend time away from their families to answer calls for help from across the community.
"I don't think there's a greater spirit in an individual than somebody who's willing to volunteer their time, put their life on the line and their livelihood for the greater good of their community," said Matthew Burrell, a volunteer firefighter. "With the lack of volunteers in our current times, it's a dying profession."
Around 75% of all fire departments in Tennessee are volunteer-based. Over Christmas and New Year's, firefighters may not spend as much as much time as they would like with their families. Some say that their families' support can be the backbone. For them, their spouses and their children are what gets them through calls and are what drives them.
"Being a firefighter, it's an inherently dangerous job, paid or volunteer. Year to date, there's been 82 line-of-duty deaths, and the dangers don't discriminate between volunteering and a paycheck," said Burrell. "We're leaving family functions, we're missing birthdays, we're missing, you know, sometimes Christmas to go answer these calls in our community. For, you know, nothing other than to help our neighbor and to be there."
And for many volunteer firefighters, their families are the biggest reasons they clock into work. For them, the support of children and spouses can mean the world.
"God bless our families, because if it wasn't for them supporting us for this cause, then there's no way we would be able to do that," said Burrell. "We're there on people's worst days of their lives. And we're volunteering our time to serve them. So, be supportive of that."
Volunteer fire departments are currently facing low funds and a decreasing workforce across the state, and many are relying on support from the community to keep them going.
"They're doing it for an experience, but little-to-no compensation," said Burrell.
Anyone interested in becoming a volunteer firefighter can reach out to their local fire department to start the assessment and training process.