With the extreme cold temperatures, the Fire Chief at the Robstown Fire Department said there has been a slight increase in house fires, which is why the department is in extra need of volunteers to stay prepared.
“It’s important that we get volunteers because the city can only afford so many firefighters,” Edwin Benavides, a volunteer firefighter at the Robstown Fire Department said.
Benavides has been a volunteer firefighter at the department for over 10 years.
Benavides said being a volunteer can have many takeaways.
“The biggest would be helping out the community, and being there for somebody’s worst day and helping them out,” Benavides said.
Fire Chief at the Robstown Fire Department, Javier Zapata said they currently only have seven volunteers and they need at least 13 more.
“Every second counts, when we need help. We just page out and we call volunteers to come and assist us,” Zapata said.
Zapata said the department does not just respond to calls made out of Robstown, but they respond to surrounding communities as well.