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From Iowa Public Radio
Volunteer fire and EMT services in the state, specifically in Iowa's rural areas, are struggling. Emergency specialists are aging out and retiring and there are not enough people to replace them. In some areas, the call response time is 30 minutes, long enough for a home to burn down.
Although there are private ambulance services in Iowa, there are some places where these services are no longer available because it isn't financially viable.
On this edition of River to River, host Ben Kieffer talks with firefighters and medical emergency responders about how Iowa's rural areas respond to emergencies and the challenges they face with a shortage of volunteers.
