There are well over 1 million firefighters in the United States. An estimated 75% of them are volunteers. Volunteer firefighters protect rural areas and small communities throughout the country. For the most part the have the same equipment as paid firefighters and often have the exact same training. So why do some fire departments pay their firefighters while others rely on volunteers?

Most volunteer fire departments are located in areas with lower populations. Although the area they cover may be much larger, the number of people and structures they protect is relatively small. Because of these factors volunteer fire departments typically have far fewer calls than paid fire departments do. With a low number of emergencies to respond to it is simply not feasible to employ and entire department of full time firefighters. Volunteers who have other full time jobs may only be able to respond to emergencies a few times a week, and usually that is all that is needed of them.

Paid fire departments are usually found in larger urban areas with a much higher population. The larger number of people and structures leads to a much higher number of emergencies. Fire departments that respond to several emergencies every day cannot expect volunteers to be able to respond so often. Because of this it is necessary to employ full time firefighters.

Many areas also have combination fire departments. Combination fire departments usually employ a smaller number of firefighters and also rely on volunteers at the same time. A small number of firefighters on duty will be able to handle most emergencies; however when there is a larger emergency such as a large structure fire, the volunteers can be called in to assist.