“I have no ambition in this world but one
and that is to be a fireman."
—Edward F. Croker
​Fire Chief FDNY (1899-1911)

Join Us!
​Become a Volunteer Firefighter!


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​Warrenton Rural Vol. Fire Dept. is a volunteer fire department and is always in need of more volunteer members. 

Junior Firefighter Program
Warrenton Rural Vol. Fire Dept. also has a Junior Firefighter Program for youths 12 to 18 years old to learn about the fire service. ​

Fire Service Facts from the
National Volunteer Fire Council

Volunteer Firefighters
  • Volunteers Firefighters comprise 65% of all firefighters in the U.S.

  • Volunteer fire departments are struggling to recruit younger members.  Only 22% of volunteer firefighters are under 30 years old.
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  • In smaller communities, 34% of volunteer firefighters are over 50 years old!​​

​Volunteer Fire Departments 
  • Most fire departments in the USA are volunteer.  Of the 29,452 fire departments in America, 18,873 are all volunteer and 5,335 are mostly volunteer.

  • Small communities rely more heavily on volunteer firefighters and are typically protected by all-volunteer fire departments.  

  • The cost savings provided by volunteer firefighters and volunteer fire departments is tremendous.  The time donated by volunteer firefighters saves localities across the country an estimated $46.9 billion per year. 

  • In some cases, small communities have resorted to hiring paid firefighters to help cover response to calls, especially during weekday hours when many volunteer firefighters are at their paying jobs.

  • ​For most small communities, switching to a paid firefighter staffing model is not feasible.
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  • ​Most volunteer fire departments are struggling to meet staffing needs. In 2020, the number of volunteer firefighters in the U.S. reached an all-time low, while call volume has more than tripled over the last 35 years.