For the first time since the Chehalis Fire Department reduced staffing in 2009 due to the recession, the department has volunteer firefighters preparing to join the force.

Reinstating the Chehalis Fire Department’s volunteer firefighter program was one of Fire Chief Adam Fulbright’s top priorities after he was sworn in in June 2023.

“Chehalis Fire has had a very rich history that stems back to 1890, where we started our journey as a Fire Dept.,” the department posted on social media last February. “We started with volunteers. In 1911, we transitioned to a combination house with both paid staff and volunteers. As the years moved on, the recession hit and in 2009 we lost our volunteer program. We would like to proudly announce our volunteers are coming back!”

Shortly after he started as chief, Fulbright and other Chehalis Fire Department personnel discussed community needs and “the direction that we needed to go to meet the needs of the public,” Fulbright said. “One of the pieces was additional staff, to include volunteer forces.”

The Chehalis Fire Department recruited an initial seven volunteer firefighters last year, four of whom are still involved in the program.

“It can be taxing to get in and get all your training requirements done the first two years,” Fulbright said, adding that it’s not uncommon for volunteers to quit after realizing how much time and training is required.

Six volunteer firefighter recruits have since joined the initial four, bringing the total Chehalis Fire volunteer force in training to 10.

The first batch of four volunteer firefighters is set to finish their training and hit the field in about six months, Fulbright said.

“Once the training phase is over, then the volunteer forces will be interacting with the full-time crew and serving the public and working the fires and providing medical care,” Fulbright said.

As of Thursday, Chehalis Fire had 14 full-time firefighters.

Once they finish training, volunteers will be required to work a minimum of 48 hours a month. Those 48 hours can include time working a shift, training or a combination of the two.

The biggest hurdle in building the Chehalis Fire Department’s volunteer force has been acquiring the necessary equipment for them, Fulbright said.

Given the cost of gear and the fact that all the equipment used by the previous volunteer force is now out of date, Fulbright said, “When you’re all said and done, you’re pushing about $10,000 for one volunteer to equip them with uniforms and personal protective equipment so they can do the job. So that’s the biggest challenge we’ve had, is getting the funds in to get the volunteers equipped.”

Chehalis Fire has been in contact with the Chehalis Foundation and other organizations for possible financial assistance and help organizing fundraisers, Fulbright said.

Despite the difficulty in getting equipment, Fulbright said Chehalis Fire is dedicated to building its volunteer firefighter program and supporting community members who are interested in volunteering.

“We highly encourage folks that are looking at the fire and EMS service as a career to certainly contact their local fire department,” Fulbright said. “ … Most, if not all, of the fire departments throughout Lewis county are volunteer based … so anybody interested in exploring this as a career option, this is a great place to start, with your local fire department, to come in and get some free training and get some exposure to what the profession looks like and see if it's something that's of interest to them, and help the community out in exchange to getting training to develop a new skill set for career opportunities.”

Those interested in volunteering are encouraged to contact Gina Copas at 260-748-3394 or gcopas@ci.chehalis.wa.us.

For more information, visit https://www.ci.chehalis.wa.us/fire.