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COVID-19 creates some challenges for volunteer fire departments

Some volunteer fire departments have had to cancel fundraising events, others were forced to come up with a new way to train firefighters.

MONROE COUNTY, Pa. — Every spring, Blue Ridge Hook and Ladder hosts a chicken barbecue dinner. Money from the event helps the volunteer fire department near Saylorsburg.

But because of coronavirus, the event in Hamilton Township is now postponed.

"We don't know when everyone is going to be back up and going to work, and everything seems up in the air yet. What is the magic date?" said Chief Leon Clapper, Blue Ridge Hook and Ladder.

The pandemic is creating financial woes for a lot of volunteer fire departments.

Those funds help pay for things such as equipment upkeep.

"We just bought fire trucks that are $1.3 million, and now we start losing thousands and thousands of dollars on fundraisers. It really crams the budget at the end of the year," said Chief Clapper.

Fundraising isn't the issue over at the Coolbaugh Township Volunteer Fire Company near Tobyhanna. The fire company has always collected donations throughout the year by mail.

The training of new firefighters is being affected.

"We have moved to online training. We use a company called Target Solutions. We are obviously in the early, early stages of trying to figure out how it works and how we can teach everyone else without physically being beside them," said Asst. Fire Chief Tomas Keane, Coolbaugh Township Volunteer Fire Company.

Volunteer fire departments hope to reschedule a lot of upcoming events, but don't plan to do anything until it's safe.

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