The volunteer firefighter stipends are designed to solicit and k

North Wildwood - The volunteer firefighter stipends are designed to solicit and keep active volunteers within a given community, whereby the costs of maintaining a completely paid career division is not realized or instituted upon the taxpayers. In Wildwood, a community of just over 1 1/4 square miles in size, they currently have a $2.1 million budget for career firefighters alone, some receiving six figures, and offer their volunteers nothing. Is it any wonder why the career firefighters are pushing the volunteers out? It is called job security. The system needs an overhaul, considering mutual aid is free!