由于志愿者短缺、呼救量增加以及国家反应不足,缅因州农村消防部门面临着生存危机。 Rural Maine fire departments face an existential crisis due to volunteer shortages, rising call volumes, and inadequate state response.

缅因州的紧急呼救呼正在增加,但志愿消防员短缺正在使农村消防部门面临压力,有些消防人员已经减少一半,达到以前人员配置水平的一半。 Emergency calls in Maine are rising, but volunteer firefighter shortages are straining rural fire departments, with some down to half their former staffing levels. 自由、韦泽、那不勒斯和其他城镇的消防队长报告说,由于志愿者不断减少、人口老化和距离遥远,他们越来越难以作出反应。 Fire chiefs in Liberty, Veazie, Naples, and other towns report increasing difficulty responding due to dwindling volunteers, aging populations, and vast distances. 呼号数量激增——在十年内奥本增加了35%,波特兰超过每年20 000次,而互助和全时工作人员帮助填补了缺口。 Call volumes have surged—Auburn up 35% in a decade, Portland exceeding 20,000 annual calls—while mutual aid and full-time staff help fill gaps. 许多酋长指出, 国家领导人在解决危机方面做得不够, 并警告说, 没有协调行动, 社区在紧急情况下仍然脆弱。 Experts call the situation an “existential crisis,” and many chiefs say state leadership has not done enough to address the crisis, warning that without coordinated action, communities remain vulnerable during emergencies.