04/18/2026
By Lillian Browne
WALTON - On Saturday, April 18, the whine of a pump and the arc of water from a hose line cut across the back of the Walton Fire Department parking lot. Explorers, young volunteers ages 14 and up, took turns with nozzles. A state police drone lifted into the air. A rescue boat and UTVs sat ready on trailers. Around it all, a quieter message carried: the volunteers who keep this system running are becoming harder to find.
“We’ve got all kinds of stuff over here today,” Walton Fire Chief Bob Brown said, gesturing toward a lineup that included the Trout Creek Fire Department, New York State Police, Delaware County Sheriff’s Office, Delaware Valley Hospital, and others. “Of course, the big thing is recruiting new members.”
The annual RecruitNY event was equal parts demonstration and plea. Departments from across the region set up tables and equipment displays - from impairment goggles that simulate intoxication to a 17-foot Boston Whaler used by New York City Department of Environmental Protection police on the Cannonsville Reservoir. But the focus, repeatedly, returned to staffing.
“Over the years, the number of members have dropped down considerably,” Brown said. “Right now we’re running about 50 members… 47 years ago, when I joined, we had like 130.”
The reasons are structural as much as cultural. Where once local businesses allowed workers to leave for emergency calls, many now commute out of town. Dual-income households, childcare demands and expanded training requirements have narrowed the pool.
“It’s a big commitment,” Brown said. “People are… a lot more busy today than they were.”
Yet the demands have not eased. If anything, they have grown.
By mid-April, Walton firefighters had already responded to roughly 108 calls - a pace that could exceed last year’s total of 339. Not all are fires; many are alarms, roadside incidents or precautionary responses. But each requires a response, and often, backup.
“Most fire calls that we’ll do, we’ll end up calling somebody in for mutual aid — Trout Creek, Delhi - depending on where the call is,” Browne said.
Nearby, members of the emergency squad described similar pressures. With just 13 providers/volunteers, coverage can hinge on time of day and availability.
“We work full time and have children,” First Lieutenant Kaitlyn Tompkins said. “So we do have a need for getting additional volunteers.”
The work itself, however, is broader - and more flexible - than many assume.
“There’s a lot of stuff we can do with minimum amount of training and time,” Brown said. “You don’t have to be one running into a burning building.”
Departments are actively seeking drivers, fire police to direct traffic, equipment support crews and auxiliary members to handle logistics after calls. Even those with limited availability can contribute.
For younger residents, the Explorer program offers a structured entry point. Open to ages 14 to 18, it introduces firefighting fundamentals and often leads to long-term service - though many recruits leave the area for college and careers.
Despite the challenges, the culture of volunteerism remains deeply rooted. For many, it is generational.
“My dad was a firefighter,” Brown said. “Runs in the family.”
Others echo the same motivation in simpler terms.
“You love the community, to help the community,” said David Gleason, a veteran member assisting with recruitment.
Across the fire department campus, agencies underscored the broader ecosystem that supports emergency response. State police demonstrated drone capabilities for search and rescue, a sheriff’s deputy guided participants through field sobriety tests using impairment goggles. Delaware Valley Hospital staff discussed the forthcoming “Medical Neighborhood” expansion and ongoing hiring needs in radiology and nursing.
Even equipment upgrades reflect the strain - and adaptation - of a shrinking workforce. A newly acquired Stryker power-load ambulance stretcher, purchased for $64,000, allows a single provider/volunteers to lift and load patients, reducing the need for additional personnel.
Still, technology cannot replace people.
“Volunteers are absolutely needed,” Brown said. “We can never have enough.”
For those willing to step forward, the path is direct: visit the firehouse, stop by on a Thursday evening, or reach out through the department’s page. Training is provided, and costs are covered.
“If you’ve got some time to spare and want to feel good at night after you go home, after you help somebody out,” Brown said, “come on down and join us.”
In Walton - as in many rural communities - the siren still sounds. Whether enough people answer it remains an open question.
