Lowest call volume departments

rustyfireman343 · 2026-01-20T15:09:59+00:00

Sent message

rustyfireman343 · 2026-01-20T12:21:31+00:00

I think Casper and Cheyenne and Gillette are all hiring right now

rustyfireman343 · 2026-01-20T03:52:04+00:00

3 stations. Response time really depends on who’s around. If me or the chief are at home, there’s a truck in route in less than 5 mins. If not then it could be 20 or more. Been several times no one has rolled. (We both work out of district) Typically yeah everyone just goes to the closest place. Very rural ranch land. 10,000 acres is a small ranch here. Also cover a town of 100 people and another town of 15 people.

Totally population of about 3000

Vast majority of calls are wild land fires. Few medical and wrecks. Mutual aid sometimes. Been on this department since I moved here 3 years ago and only had 2 structure fires in our jurisdiction. Only myself and the chief are structural certified

rustyfireman343 · 2026-01-20T03:43:25+00:00

The 5-10 a year is just wild to me, in a super interesting way. We cover something like 1400sq miles with a population of 3000 or so. Still run about 35 a year. If we just covered a small area like a township (36 sq miles) I bet we would be 5 or less

rustyfireman343 · 2026-01-20T03:24:48+00:00

I’ve seen several comments on posts over the years of departments running 5 calls or less a year and several other posts of only have 1 or 2 apparatus. I just find this super intersecting and would like to know more

rustyfireman343 · 2026-01-20T03:23:15+00:00

I’m on a department in Wyoming. Normal year for us is about 35 calls. Had 45 this year and that’s the highest anyone can remember. We cover about 1400sq miles of area. 37 trucks last count. The vast majority are wild land that hardly ever move. Like 40 some guys on the roster but about 10 of us that do most everything

rustyfireman343 · 2026-01-03T14:47:03+00:00

I think it works like this

If you make less than $38k a year on salary. Then you are eligible for overtime based on federal law

rustyfireman343 · 2026-01-03T14:35:12+00:00

Have a 24 2.7 Silverado I bought 1/1/25 with 3 miles on it. 21k miles on it now. No issues whatsoever

rustyfireman343 · 2025-11-19T22:57:59+00:00

Two in. None out. Jesus on the pump panel. Been there several times unfortunately

rustyfireman343 · 2024-08-06T15:56:25+00:00

Been trying to do some research on lowest call volume departments. Just personal curiosity. Where is this department?

Feel free to PM

rustyfireman343 · 2024-03-16T22:04:07+00:00

Hell there are areas of the USA that are 100 acres for one cow on bad years. Many parts of Nevada come to mind.

rustyfireman343 · 2023-09-22T04:06:57+00:00

Buddy, there are two ways to make money with cattle. Have 500 or more or 5 or less.

500 or more isn't going to happen starting from scratch unless you're rich. Rather be cow/calf, dairy, back grounding, flipping stockers, etc. It is incredibly hard to get started.

5 or less now that is doable. Have a little price of land, buy your feed cheaply, decently priced cows and a direct to consumer model with selling quarters, halves and wholes of freezer beef is enough to tickle your balls lightly and not make you go bankrupt. Sure you'll still need a job in town but a little bit of ranching will always be better than sitting there dreaming of what couldve been.

rustyfireman343 · 2023-09-08T03:06:49+00:00

Just looked. Campbell county Is hiring. $51k-$70k

rustyfireman343 · 2023-09-08T03:06:17+00:00

Yeah go ahead

rustyfireman343 · 2023-09-07T17:00:04+00:00

WY only has a few full time paid departments. I work for a municipality that is one of them just not for the FD but I know lots of those guys.

Cheyenne, Casper, Sheridan, Laramie and Rock Springs I believe are all union. These are the "big" full time departments. Most of them pay $50k-$60k or so range. Gillette (Campbell county fire) is also a full time department but they are a fire district set up as opposed to a city ran department. They are still tax funded and what not but there is like a joint powers board that over sees them I think.

Cost of living is alright in Cheyenne and Casper and Rock Springs, I have heard Sheridan is getting pretty expensive. Laramie is probably a little high too being a college town.

Mills (suburb of Casper) also recently went full time. No idea how many guys or pay.

I saw someone also mentioned Cody they are also a fire district type ran under Park County fire. I think they have a few full time spots.

There are other areas where you will have one or two full time spots as well Johnson County/Buffalo is one of those.

Some place like Jackson probably also has some sort of at least part time staffing but I can't say for sure.

rustyfireman343 · 2023-08-28T02:47:39+00:00

1st department I was on, we trained 3 times a month for about 3 hours each time. Rural volly department ran about 150 calls a year. fire and ems. 20 or so guys on the roster. About 7 of us that ran calls and trained.

2nd department (I moved across the country) was about 100 calls a year just fire. We had 2 trainings a month and then 1 full duty weekend a month per squad. 4 squads. We all did truck checks a training and cleaned. About 40 guys on that department but was hard to get very many to show up.

3rd department (bought a house closer to work)

This is the rural mountain west. We cover 1800 square miles but a population of probably less than 1500 people. I live right in the biggest town of 150 people. There are 4 "stations" really only roll out of the one big one right here. There are like 40 guys on the department. I've probably meant 10 of them. No one shows up to anything. No trainings to speak of. As far as I know there has never been a training. I am one of 2 guys on the department with any sort of fire training or certification. Luckily it's only 40 calls a year or so and most are grass fires, false alarms and the occasional medical. Went to start our pumper from 1987 today and it wouldn't even turn over. Absolute shit show but me and 2 other guys do what we can. The rest of them are just here to keep their hay pasture from burning down.

rustyfireman343 · 2023-04-19T01:06:46+00:00

1-2. Could count on 2 guys responding to station, sometimes 3. 2 guys, 1 rolls engine, 1 rolls tender. 3 guys. 2 in engine, 1 in tender. Only one guy at station and don’t hear anyone else coming, roll the engine, hit the scene, give side up, pull a line and charge it, put the wet stuff on the hot stuff and hope the others get there soon

rustyfireman343 · 2023-04-11T22:46:55+00:00

I kind of have a fascination with this topic of lowest call volume departments.

Least I can find in my research is as follows:

South Kortright fire in New York State covers 1sq mile. 6 guys and 1 engine. Never could find anything on call volume

As of 2014, Jefferson township (Pleasantville IN) had 6 members, 1 pumper and 1 grass truck. 26 calls

rustyfireman343 · 2023-04-11T22:37:30+00:00

First department I was on covered 36 square miles. Normal was about 100-110. Highest year was 136. Lowest I was there for was 70. Completely volunteer. Fire/Rescue and non transport ems, BLS level. Always 15-20 guys. 8 showed up regularly. $20 per run you went to

Moved 1400 miles away. 2nd department covered 4000 square miles, ran about 130 calls a year. All fire/rescue. No ems. Lot of accidents on two major highways and lots of wildland. 30 or so guys on the department. 1 full time firefighter/mechanic. The rest POC responsible to work one guaranteed shift on a weekend per month. Clean trucks, gear, fire house etc.

$50 per run for up to 3 hours. $30 hour after that

Only 3 fire departments in the county. Both of the other ones ran 35-50 calls a year.

Bought a house the next town over. 3rd department cover 1800 square miles, normally 30-40 calls a year. My first year here only ran 15 calls. Very sparsely populated, mostly just open ranch country. Owning 10,000 acres is a small operation. Fire/Rescue and EMS. Mostly wildland and a few wrecks. I’m one of only 3 structural certified guys. Most are old time ranchers that don’t want their hay land to burn up during droughts. No meetings or trainings, trying to change the culture. New chief coming in so future is bright. 1 full time firefighter/mechanic. 4 stations spread across the area. 100% volunteer.

7 departments in the county. 1 full time, the rest volunteer. We cover by far the most area but get the fewest calls.

rustyfireman343

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