MONROVIA, Ala. (WHNT) — Monrovia Volunteer Fire & Rescue is celebrating reaching a recruitment goal. Public Information Officer James Filley says since Jan. 1, the department has received 40 new applications.
This comes as it recently switched from a paper application that needed to be hand-delivered to the station to an online application.
“We’re much easier to find now, and I think that has really improved our application base,” Filley said. He said in addition to posting on their own social media accounts, they also post on online job forums and websites to increase visibility.
“There’s been a longstanding narrative in the volunteer fire department community that people don’t want to volunteer anymore. Well, what this kind of proves is that that’s not really true,” Filley said. “We just have to reach those people.”
One of the newest volunteers at Monrovia Volunteer Fire & Rescue is Cathy Ross.
She told News 19 that she recently got her EMT license and found the department online.
“I came across Monrovia online on one of the job sites, and I said, ‘This is perfect to start somewhere’ and start practicing my skills,” Ross said.
“Knowing that I can help people in their moment of need is something that has always intrigued me about the medical service, and now that I’m an EMT, I thought, what better way to serve my community than by volunteering in my free time,” Ross added.
Another recent addition to the lineup at the firehouse is probationary firefighter Matthew Seemann. He told News 19 that he’s been volunteering for Monrovia for about six months.
“It’s volunteer, so it’s very flexible, so if you’ve got a busy life and you don’t know if you’ll be able to commit a lot of time to it, that’s still fine, come check it out,” Seamann said.
“Maybe you’ll decide that you enjoy it and make it a priority,” he said. “It’s definitely a priority for the people that are here.”
Monrovia Volunteer Fire & Rescue serves more than 30,000 residents in the Monrovia part of Madison County. Lt. James Filley told News 19 that with a growing population, the department anticipates it will run more than 3,000 calls by the end of the year.
That means extra hands on the job will make a big difference.
“It’s always good to have more, especially when talking about the workload of our current member,” said Head of Personnel, Hannah Butterfield. “Trying to equally spread the load with all of our members is kind of what we’re hoping for.”
Butterfield assists with the application process and told News 19 that the online application has streamlined things.
“It’s been super easy to contact people,” she said. “It’s totally exciting to see people that have an excitement for helping the community, and we’re always looking for people.”
If you’re interested in applying to volunteer with Monrovia Volunteer Fire & Rescue, click here.
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