KRGV.com

LA JOYA - Volunteer firefighters in La Joya sometimes have to battle fires alone. Lt. Eddie Ruiz says he knows his department is at a disadvantage.

"Well, the difference between volunteer and a paid department is we're not always at the station and paid department are. They have personnel standing by 24/7," says Lt. Eddie Ruiz. "If they get the call, they roll out immediately. For us, it takes time - the time we get to the station, pick up the fire truck and roll out to our location. It takes a little more time."

We wanted to know what procedures they must follow. Ruiz says the fire department shares dispatch with the police. He says everyone has a portable radio. The dispatcher has it tuned out and everyone gets the alert and heads to the station. He says how many men he will have to help is always a guessing game.

When Ruiz responded to a house fire earlier this week, he was the only one there. He says it's a rare occasion.

"I did have backup, but they were on the way to the station, so I knew I had backup coming. I didn't know how long they were going to take as soon, but I knew they were coming," he tells us.

Ruiz says it's a problem every volunteer fire department must contend with. He tells us all they can do is stay alert, expect the unexpected and call for help when it's needed.

The La Joya city manager tells CHANNEL 5 NEWS the city is working on finding a way to put some of the firefighters on payroll. He says a new truck is also expected soon.