AMBOY – It is well known, staffing at fire departments is dangerously low.

Not just in Amboy, or Illinois, but nationwide.

The Amboy Fire District wants to show you the benefits of joining the local fire and emergency services department with Recruitment Night at 6 p.m. Saturday, Feb 24 at the Amboy fire station located at 24 N East, Ave.

“Having local responders is critical. They are helping us buy seconds back. What happens with every fire, it’s on a timer, and it eats away seconds,” said Amboy Fire Chief Jeff Bryant Sr. “The only thing to do on the Amboy Fire Department side is buy back seconds. That means having more robust responders that can assist with the firefighting operations, the EMS calls and the car accidents. We’re trying to improve the quality of life for Amboy citizens. The way I look at it is, if it’s not you, who is it going to be?

“The benefits of volunteering for your local department are your self worth and you’re giving back to your local community. You’re providing services that if you’re not doing them, who is going to?

“We do pay for going on calls and training. We pay the cost of the training and we pay the equipment cost. There is a lot of tradition at the Amboy Fire District.”

Citizens can join the department as young as high school age, which are cadets, and regular members are ages 18-to-65.

The Amboy Fire District recently consolidated with Harmon and also offers services to West Brooklyn and Ohio.

The department averages 1 ½ calls per day and 500 calls per year, which has doubled in the last two decades.

“We’ve been blessed in the last couple of months. We’ve had some new applicants and new members,” Bryant Sr. said. “We’re continuing to grow. We’re looking for people because we need members now more than ever.

“At the end of the day, it’s a blessing for all of the accolades people receive for just being a member of an organization with a lot of tradition.”