West Virginia Fire Commission Reports Critical Statewide Staffing Shortages

West Virginia fire stations face an unmeasured statewide staffing shortage as call volumes triple, according to a newly released state document that details acute manpower needs without calculating current station vacancies.

Critical Manpower Needs and Missing Vacancy Data

The plan highlights that manpower needs relative to fire and other related hazard responses are critical to the safety of West Virginia residents and emergency responders. Yet the document contains no figures showing how many vacancies state fire stations currently have or how many firefighters are required for stations to meet Occupational Safety and Health Administration standards.

State Fire Marshal Ken Tyree stated that pinning down the exact number of vacancies remains a future goal for his office. Because about 96 percent of West Virginia fire departments—totaling 423 departments—operate as volunteer or partially paid entities, the state office does not track a statewide vacancy rate.

The state’s 13 fully paid departments are all fully staffed, according to figures released by Tyree’s office. West Virginia currently counts about 8,000 volunteer firefighters and 1,000 paid firefighters.

Volunteer Recruitment Challenges and Rising Call Volumes

Beyond staffing numbers, the plan examines 15 other operational areas including water sources, station placement, public education, and training. However, staffing underpins nearly every challenge cited in the document.

Recruiting volunteer firefighters remains difficult because prospective recruits have limited free time, with most households relying on two incomes. The document notes that the number of volunteer firefighters across the United States reached a historic low in 2020.

During that same period, emergency call volume more than tripled over the last 35 years, driven largely by an increase in emergency medical service calls. Public education campaigns targeting high-risk areas depend heavily on partnerships with the very volunteer fire departments currently struggling with severe staffing shortages.

Alternative Community Support and Legislative Funding Plans

To ease pressure on operational staff, Tyree proposed engaging community members outside traditional fire services, including educators, accountants, and tradespeople, to assist with non-operational support, risk reduction education, and administrative tasks. The plan also calls for improved reporting from local fire departments and quarterly rotating reviews of plan segments, addressing past legislative audits that found the fire marshal’s office overburdened by administrative tasks.

The state plans to seek federal and local grant funds to resolve these resource gaps. Tyree noted that this funding strategy does not preclude approaching state lawmakers.

If data demonstrates clear needs that cannot be met through federal streams or local funds, we are fully prepared to engage with the Legislature and state stakeholders to secure appropriate financial support.

Ken Tyree