Call your local organization and tell them you’re interested, find out what you might be able to do for them.

They’ll listen. They’ll thank you. They need you. We need you.

COVID-19 and well-intended actions that aimed to stop healthcare facilities from being overwhelmed had far-reaching and unintended consequences on industries, organizations, businesses and people.

But few have been hit as hard as volunteer fire departments and rescue squads, many of which were already seeing declining memberships.

I remember talking to a small town volunteer about eight years ago, who has since moved away. At the time, he told me there was actually a waiting list to join the department, but for many rescue organizations those days are gone.

In a more recent conversation, a rescue squad leader told me that volunteerism is dying. It’s not hard to believe. It’s not even hard to understand why.

Who has the time? Who wants to put themselves in danger? The pay is nonexistent in most cases. The hours are random.

The situations they deal with are at frequently horrific and sometimes heartbreaking. It’s not for the faint of heart.

He also told me, though, that there is a camaraderie that exists between volunteers that’s unlike anything else. And for some, the call to help, serve and protect their neighbors is in their blood. I don’t pretend to understand, but I’m sure any volunteers who read this probably do.

What I do know is that for hundreds of years we’ve relied on these volunteers to help us in the worst of times. For those who’ve lent their aid to us, I offer appreciation.

For many families, such service has been and continues to be generational. But it’s in decline. That’s what I’m told. That’s what I’ve read.

There are many factors. Smaller family sizes, fewer opportunities for employment, state-mandated regulations that make certifications time consuming and costly, and an economy that’s made it difficult, if not impossible, to raise a family on a single salary are just a few of the contributing factors.

So what can you do? For many of us, volunteering with a rescue squad is out of reach due to the reasons listed above or others.

But for those who can, those who have considered it, and those who read this and might volunteer, I’m asking you to reach out and learn what you can do for those who do so much for us.

And to members of local fire departments and rescue squads, I encourage you to reach out to me, let me help tell your stories.

When you have banquets to honor the work done by members, share it with me, so I can share it with the community.

I know that’s not why you do what you do, but you deserve the credit all the same, and your acts of bravery might inspire people of all ages to get involved.

You’ve sure done a lot for us. Let us do something for you.

Jimmy Lawton is news editor of North Country This Week and NorthCountryNow.com