Firefighting in Pennsylvania has been a hot topic over the last several years as a lot of local volunteer departments have had trouble recruiting volunteers.
Longtime firefighter Larry Christy thinks our state we’ll eventually see more of what’s called “combination fire departments.”
“What I’m seeing, and this is across the state, is more combination fire departments,” Christy said in an interview.
He explained that a combination fire department consists of paid people, mainly on weekdays or during daylight hours, which is then supplemented with either part-time employees or a strong volunteer service.
“I really see as being where the fire service in Pennsylvania is going,” he said.
Christy started his 40-plus year career with the Butler City Fire Department, which is a paid department. He then worked as fire marshal with the Butler Township Fire Department, which is run by three different volunteer departments.
The majority of fire departments in Butler County are volunteer.
