Firefighters put out a fire that destroyed two homes and displaced three families on the corner of Broad Street and McFarland Avenue in Tupper Lake in April 2023. (Enterprise photo — Aaron Marbone)

Almost two weeks ago, several residents experienced a nightmare that all of us hope to avoid in our lives.

In the early morning hours of Feb. 25, a fire broke out in an apartment building on Elm Street in Saranac Lake, taking the lives of one man and one cat and endangering the lives of several others.

Within minutes, Saranac Lake firefighters were there. They spent nearly 10 hours at the scene, making sure that once the blaze was extinguished, it was gone for good.

More than two weeks ago, a passerby noticed smoke pouring from a home on Grandview Avenue and called the Lake Placid Fire Department. Lake Placid firefighters responded within minutes and quickly knocked down the fire.

Last month, the Bloomingdale Volunteer Fire Department responded to a house fire in Vermontville that took the lives of two dogs. The fire started while the family of five was not home. Firefighters were able to contain the fire to the home and save a nearby garage.

When a wind storm hit the Tri-Lakes region late last month and downed trees on roads, power lines and on at least one home, our volunteer firefighters stayed up all night to make sure that we were safe, that our roads were clear and that any accidental fires didn’t spread.

These are but a few recent examples of how our local volunteer firefighters show up when we need them most. They are our heroes — people who, no matter the time or place, will come to our aid.

Here’s the problem: We need more of them. With population decline across the region, an affordable housing crisis, increasing work stresses as the cost of living continues to outpace wage increases, childcare needs and increasing state training requirements, local volunteer fire departments are hemorrhaging membership as older members retire and younger residents struggle to find the time to volunteer.

“If something doesn’t change very soon in the volunteerism … Saranac Lake is going to need a fully-paid fire department,” Saranac Lake Fire Chief Brendan Keough said at a village board meeting last month.

“It’s the biggest crisis we’re facing right now,” he added.

Our communities are facing plenty of challenges right now, many of which don’t have straightforward solutions. But this one does. We need more young people to step up and volunteer at our local fire departments.

Yes, there’s lots of training to do –somewhere around 143 hours of it for new recruits. It can also be costly, but help on that front may soon be on the way –Gov. Kathy Hochul is proposing a stipend for volunteer firefighter training as part of her state budget proposal. But Tupper Lake Fire Chief Royce Cole said it best in a story by Staff Writer Aaron Marbone in today’s Enterprise:

“At the end of the day, you are helping your community and you are helping the people in it, whether you know them or not,” Cole said. “If things work out for the best, it’s a great feeling knowing you were able to help somebody in their time of need. … It’s definitely satisfying, knowing that you can make a difference in your community.”

If you’re interested in becoming a member of your local fire department, visit their website, visit the firehouse in person, or give the department a call –on a non-emergency line, of course.