Thank you for your interest in serving Elkin as a volunteer firefighter. As a volunteer, you will be joining a proud tradition that dates back to the very beginning of our nation, with George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, and Benjamin Franklin among the many founding fathers who were also involved in the volunteer fire service.

Today, volunteers still comprise a majority of our nation’s fire service. In fact, 70% of all firefighters are volunteers, with over one million volunteer firefighters and emergency medical personnel in the U.S. Half of all Americans live in communities served by fire departments that are either volunteer or a combination of volunteer and career (full-time and paid). In addition to providing life-saving services, these volunteers save communities across the nation a significant amount of money. It would cost U.S. taxpayers an estimated $140.7 billion every year if all the volunteer first responders were replaced with career staff.