2 days ago
Carl Junction Fire Protection District faces rising costs and calls, decreasing volunteers
CARL JUNCTION, Mo. — The Carl Junction Fire Protection District is feeling the fallout of the national volunteer firefighter shortage while at the same time facing higher call volumes and rising equipment costs.
The district's coverage area is about 74 square miles, from the Joplin city limits, north to Asbury, and the state line to Missouri Highway 43.
'To put it into context, we are busier than the single busiest fire station in Joplin,' said fire Chief Joe Perkins. 'We outrun Joplin Fire Station No. 3 by about 30 or 40 calls.'
Volunteers comprise 65% of firefighters in the United States, according to data from the National Volunteer Fire Council. Small and midsize communities rely heavily on volunteer firefighters.
When Perkins first joined the department in 1998, there were more than 60 volunteers on the roster and no paid personnel. In 2005, he was one of the first three full-time firefighters hired in Carl Junction. He became captain, assistant chief, then fire chief in 2015.
Today, the Carl Junction Fire Protection District has 18 volunteer firefighters. Last year, it had 24 volunteers. The district currently has 12 full-time firefighters on staff and operates four fire stations.
'It got to a point where we had to augment because we don't have the same amount of volunteers,' said Perkins. 'Now, each shift has three people and we augment that with a PRN (as-needed) guy who works 10 to 12 hours during the day.'
An increase in annual calls has also been affecting the district's equipment and the amount of coverage limited staff can provide. In 2018, the district responded to a total of 275 calls. In 2019, there were a total of 1,725 calls. Perkins said their calls now average about 2,500 annually.
Rising equipment costs due to inflation and supply shortages from the COVID-19 pandemic have also caused budget constraints for the district. Perkins said they've had to get more creative with equipment and have even remounted tankers to save money.
'We have two trucks where we remounted current tankers and basically put the same tank and pump on a new chassis,' said Perkins. 'This saved us roughly about $190,000 for those vehicles individually, nearly $400,000 total.'
The Carl Junction Fire Protection District's budget is fueled by a tax levy and operates independently from the city. With these ongoing challenges, Perkins said they may have to explore other ways to generate additional revenue for the district, such as placing a bond issue on the April 2026 ballot.
'Fire protection districts in Missouri are funded primarily through property taxes,' said Perkins. 'We're not growing the same way that some of these bigger cities have been. We have to adapt.'
