VIDEO: Mike Bogle has been a firefighter since he was a teenager. These days, though, he serves as the chief of the Centerville Fire Department.
Bogle got his start with the department as a volunteer.
"I thought, 'I'm going to try this out; seems pretty cool.' I knew some of the guys on the department and lo and behold, 30 plus years later, I'm still here," said Bogle as he drove around Centerville waving to the many of the residents who recognize him.
Stories like his, though, are becoming less common.
"It's been several years since we've had someone that young be interested in the department," Chief Bogle said.
And here's why that's a troubling trend: 92% of Iowa's fire response capabilities rely on volunteers, according to Mike Lamb, coordinator of ADLM Emergency Management.