BENSON, Ariz. (KGUN) — The Benson Fire Department has been staffed with volunteers since 1907, but now the city and the fire chief are calling for change.
Chief Keith Spangler is the City of Benson's only full time firefighter and paramedic.
"It's responding and getting on scene and then having to wait for more people to show up," he said. "One person does not run a fire department.”
Spangler says because they rely on volunteers response times are slower, because they have to get to the station, gear up and leave in the fire truck. And when he's alone he has to wait for other agencies to show up to help.
“There's been several fires that had there been full time people manning a station, the fire wouldn't have done as much damage,” he said.
The chief relies on his 15 volunteers, who aren’t always available. Spangler says most of them are working their day jobs, when the station gets most of their calls.
"Volunteers are hard to come by," he said. "Now a lot of people don't want to do volunteer stuff anymore.”
This isn't just in Benson. Volunteer stations across the county and country are seeing the same trend.
But, the effects in Benson are beginning to appear, as the city grows. Spangler says some of the newer homes that were built are more than 5 miles away from the station, making it harder for occupants to find home insurance. He say some community members have told him that because Benson is a volunteer fire department some insurance companies are not providing coverage.
Spangler says they receive an average of 120 calls a month, which is an increase from previous years, which is why, he says it’s time for full time fire department in Benson.
“We need personnel, we need another station (and) we need another engine for that station,” Spangler said.
He says ideally the new station would be located on Highway 90 to serve the new housing developments being build and those outside the 5-mile radius of the current station.
The challenge...paying for everything.
"The biggest fight is funding,” Spangler said. “It's a huge funding game that has to be played to figure out where you're going to get the money from without alienating the citizens.”
The chief is taking the first step in making the station full time, by adding two full time firefighters to the staff by the end of the month. He says they will work during the week, to help during the busiest time. City Council approved the funding for the positions earlier this year.
"It's not going to cure the problem," Spangler said. "It's a step in the right direction.”
His goal is to have the station staffed all day, every day— to better serve the community.
“We're just working towards meeting the needs of the community and trying to do that the best way we know how," Spangler said.
The chief says on Monday, City Council and the Mayor will be presented with the idea to create a public safety committee, that would be made up of community members. Their goal would be to find the needs for both the police and fire departments, with the help of the respective chiefs, and find funding opportunities.
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Alexis Ramanjulu is a reporter in Cochise County for KGUN 9. She began her journalism career reporting for the Herald/Review in Sierra Vista, which she also calls home. Share your story ideas with Alexis by emailing alexis.ramanjulu@kgun9.com or by connecting on Facebook.
