"Volunteer numbers for firefighting have dropped significantly since the 1970s when there were around 300,000 volunteers to about 40,000 today in Pennsylvania municipalities, and specifically Sunbury."<br/>
Here s how you can help the struggling fire companies in the Sunbury area during the pandemic. Author: Nikki Krize Updated: 3:09 PM EST February 24, 2021
SUNBURY, Pa. The Sunbury Fire Department responded to around 400 calls last year between its six volunteer companies. But as these firefighters help the public, they are now asking for help themselves. We still have insurance to pay. We still have utility bills to pay. Anybody who has a loan out to purchase their apparatus still has to make those loan payments, said Dan Saxton, treasurer of the Sunbury Fire Department.
Saxton says the volunteer companies depend on business from their social clubs to stay open. Because of the pandemic, the fire companies are not getting income from the social clubs.