MONROE — Green County EMS Chief Dan Nufer has noticed that while call numbers have increased in recent years, the number of people willing to drive ambulances has not, which has led to problems for the entity that does not use tax money to fund its operations.

“We depend very heavily on our volunteers,” Nufer said. 

Green County EMS operates with a large volunteer staff, made up of people who agree to be on call without being paid. When they do respond to a call, they are compensated, Nufer said. 

Which has led to part of the problem, he noted. Namely that the shortage of drivers largely impacts overnight shifts when those who dedicate their time to an overnight shift likely also work full-time jobs. 

“You might sleep all night, you might not sleep at all,” Nufer said. “That makes it hard for people who have to work the next day.”

Green County EMS has roughly 55 volunteers on its roster, he said. However, there are currently only 11 drivers who are not EMTs. Those are the volunteers who serve only to drive the ambulances and do maintenance work, allowing those trained in medical care to do their jobs without other distractions. Ideally, there would be about six more people willing to take a night shift throughout the week, Nufer said. 

As the number of available drivers dips, the amount of calls handled by Green County EMS has only increased. Nufer said in 2009, they handled 1,264 calls. In 2018, the calls totaled more than 2,100. Nufer said there is more than one factor driving those calls, from an aging population to more willingness to call an ambulance in the face of an injury or concern. 

Regardless, he said Green County EMS needs more people willing to take the driver’s seat. 

“We want to put more people in the EMT class who can help us get our ambulances out the door,” he said. 

Nufer said the easiest way for someone who may be considering becoming a driver is for them to visit the station. Anyone interested can meet fellow volunteers and take part in a ride-along to see what the job requires.

Volunteer shortages in rural areas are a common concern throughout the country. According to a policy brief published by the National Rural Health Association in May 2018, “nearly one-third of rural” EMS are currently in trouble operationally, in part due to a decline in volunteers. It explains that rural EMS need volunteers more than services based in urban areas and are more likely to be staffed by people donating their time. 

Of surveyed rural EMS directors, the policy brief notes that there are persistent problems recruiting and retaining volunteers and roughly 55 percent of surveyed directors have reported that retention problems have either remained steady or gotten worse. 

Monroe Fire Chief Dan Smits has spoken in the past about the trend of a decline in volunteers in Midwest fire departments. He said that while the department doesn’t necessarily suffer from “shortages,” past leaders had not committed to an effective and sustainable retention and recruitment effort. With increased visibility this year, the program has been successful so far, Smits said.

“Can we always use more people? Yes,” he said. “More volunteers are always helpful to the community.”

Currently, the MFD is getting the numbers it needs, Smits added. However, he noted that getting volunteers has been troubling for most rural departments. 

“Volunteerism in America is not what it used to be,” Smits said, adding that families currently feel driven to be involved with a number of activities, leaving little time to serve as volunteer firefighters or EMTs.

For members of the South Wayne Fire Department, the job can require both. Chief Eric Berget said of the calls the department takes, 60% are for medical-related emergencies, while 40% usually require firefighting. And for those who are providing a medical response, the upkeep of certifications and training can be strenuous. 

“It’s hard to get people to commit that much time,” Berget said.

But that isn’t the only reason the department lacks a full roster of 35, he said. The lack of volunteerism also stems from fewer community-oriented individuals living in the area and the treatment the department receives from local government. 

“It really puts a sour taste in your mouth when you work hard to do your best then they don’t appreciate you,” he said of elected officials from the village and Wayne Township and their unwillingness to provide funding for updated equipment.

Berget said he sees the future of fire departments as ones not manned by people dedicating their free time, but by county-owned stations spread throughout the county and operated by paid responders, “unless for some reason the next generation is different than the one we have now.”