Oklahoma lawmakers are considering a new bill that would allow paid firefighters to volunteer with their departments after they've retired.
If passed, the measure would help staffing issues that departments across the state face, KJRH-TV reports. According to Rep. Mike Sanders, one of the bill's sponsors, volunteers make up 86 percent of Oklahoma's fire service, and recruiting qualified firefighters can be difficult.
"They could really come back and help the community, and the community will appreciate them because they’re well-trained," Capt. Waid Whitlock, who has volunteered with the Collinsville Fire Department for more than 15 years, told KJRH.
Currently, paid firefighters can't volunteer once they've retired without losing their pension.
