Fire Captain Ed Dunbar from Benton County District 4 said his team is the first line of defense for almost 20,000 of their neighbors, with another 9,000 expected over the next few years.
He said more neighbors means more calls for help.
These days he said it takes 17 minutes just to get to callers at the far corners of their district.
That's why Dunbar said this bond is important.
17 minutes is a long time to wait for help, whether your house is on fire or your child isn't breathing: it can make or break the outcome.