The lack of young volunteer firefighters is “reaching crisis proportions.” According to the National Volunteer Fire Council, the number of U.S. volunteer firefighters went down by almost 10% between 1984 and 2015—despite the population growing by more than 35%. Some theorize that today’s two-career families already have enough on their plates, making the time commitment too much to bear. Fire officials nationwide are working on incentives like breaks on property taxes or stipends to encourage volunteerism. (The Wall Street Journal)
