Volunteer First Responder Innovation Challenge

Rural communities across the country are facing a growing crisis in emergency response services due to a critical shortage of volunteer first responders. Approximately 53% of rural EMS agencies are staffed by volunteers, compared to just 14% in urban areas. Similarly, volunteer fire departments make up 70% of all U.S. fire departments as of January 2024, yet the number of volunteers has steadily declined for decades, creating critical gaps in emergency response across rural America.

Despite their significant reliance on volunteer support, more than 70% of rural public safety agencies face challenges in both attracting and retaining volunteers. Contributing factors include an aging volunteer base, competing priorities, demanding training requirements, increasing call volumes, lack of financial incentives, and broader socioeconomic challenges such as population decline and limited local resources. Without a sustainable pipeline of new recruits, rural areas risk longer response times, reduced quality of emergency care, and increased strain on already overstretched responders.