With the grand opening of its 13th fire station in the Bridgeland area planned for Aug. 25, the Cy-Fair Volunteer Fire Department is looking for volunteers.

Volunteers are the main workforce of the department, while paid firefighters augment the staff when volunteers are at work and serve as supplementary crews at night and on weekends, CFVFD Public Information Officer David Padovan said.

Volunteers can serve as fire fighters or as support staff, which entails helping fire fighters and emergency medical staff stay hydrated and meeting various other needs during emergencies.

Experience is not required for either form of volunteering, and training and equipment are provided by the department. All members complete a Cadet Class Program that teaches strategies and tactics to ensure personal safety when participating at an incident.

The department maintained an average of 293 volunteers in 2017, which was down from 374 volunteers averaged in 2013. Padovan said this can be attributed to a decline in new membership applications.

"We are not losing members; what we are seeing is a decline in new members," he said. "We are truly fortunate to have great volunteers that stay with the department."

The department's call volume has also increased from 19,517 in 2013 to 26,953 in 2017, according to a 2018 community report.

"As our call volume continues to grow, we continue to recruit and train new volunteers as well as hiring additional paid staff," Padovan said.

Padovan said the district has maintained its level of service by strategically shifting its volunteers between stations based on needs. More volunteers would ease the burden on current staff as the department continues to grow, he said.

“I don’t think you can ever have too many volunteers,” Padovan said. “As the area out here continues to grow, so does our call volume … The more volunteers we have, the less stress we put on those who are manning [the stations].”

Padovan also noted that the department's volunteer status helps keep taxes low. The cost of running an all-paid department would require higher taxes to compensate, he said, adding that the department is not in any danger of losing its volunteer status anytime soon.

“We have some of the best people volunteering their time and skills to serve their community,” Padovan said.

People interested in volunteering can reach out to the station through social media, visit www.cyfairvfd.org or attend a station meeting, which are held every Thursday at 7 p.m. at all CFVFD fire stations.