In today’s world, volunteering is becoming a rarity.

On Thursday, Commissioners’ Chairman Wayne Nothstein, a volunteer firefighter, again spoke about a crisis hitting all emergency services.

He said that no matter what volunteer service you pass by, volunteers are needed, whether it be for fundraising, active duty or social members.

He spoke about the ambulance corps, which at one time topped out at 10 in Carbon County and now dwindles to around five.

“It puts a strain on the existing ambulance corps,” Nothstein said.

With regards to firefighting, the same department volunteers are forced to keep up on all their training, respond to calls and fundraise just to keep the departments operational.

Nothstein used the example of Thursday morning’s fire call in Lansford, where a person in a wheelchair was trapped on the second floor.

“Fortunately, the fire wasn’t major ... and that person was rescued,” he said, adding that if it was severe, it could have been a big problem due to many of the volunteers already on their way to work and away from the borough.

To try to solve some of the issues, the County Commissioners Association of Pennsylvania formed a task force and is currently finalizing a report, which will be presented at CCAP’s fall conference in November.

In the meantime, Nothstein urged anyone interested in volunteering, whether it be to help fundraise or to fight fires, to contact their local fire departments.

In other matters, the Carbon County Animal Shelter is maxed out at 19 dogs.

Commissioner Thomas J. Gerhard said that the county lately has been having an issue with people abandoning dogs in homes after they move or dumping them along roads.

He said that Tom Connors, shelter director, is sending a letter to the state to see if there is any help available.