Last time I spoke to the Fire Chief in the city of Jeanerette, she told me it was hard to get volunteers.

The story has now changed. She tells me with the new compensation policy in place, they hope to see more firefighters at emergency calls. 

“Call volume is up. I am seeing more volunteers on scene. We’ve had more people come apply to be volunteers and that was one of the other goals we had in mind. Right now the budget is being amended. We are looking at about $1,600 a month.” 

$35 will divided among the volunteers for medical, vehicle accidents, grass fires, and hazmat calls. And $100 will be shared for structure fires. 

“The new compensation plan means a lot to us because everyday we put our lives on the line for the people of Jeanerette and it’s a big help. It’s encouraged more people to come and help us out. The volunteers do a lot for a our city and we love our city. It’s a big help.” 

The fire chief tells me they have added three new volunteers to their roster since the compensation plan started his month.