Breaking down how volunteer fire departments respond to emergencies with Wood County dispatchers [Video]

BOWLING GREEN, Ohio (WTVG) – Those who live in cities often count on having a 24/7 fire department. In rural areas, those fire departments are often volunteer and may not have people there around the clock.

So what happens when a call comes in and there’s no one at the station?

Corporal Juliann Flage is a dispatcher for the Wood County Sheriff’s Office. She works with dozens of fire departments across the county, dispatching firefighters to scenes of an emergency.

The northern part of the county contains mostly full-time agencies with people on staff at any given moment.

“Anytime we get a call in their jurisdiction, you know that someone’s going to answer really quick,” Flage said.

The southern areas of the county contains mostly volunteer departments meaning firefighters are not always at the station 24/7.

“I rely on one for my own home, love my volunteer fire department,” Flage …