Abigail Bottar, Ideastream Public Media

The majority of Ohio's volunteer fire departments are staffed by volunteers. While the number of volunteers is decreasing, the number of calls those departments have to respond to is increasing.

When many Ohioans call 911, the people who show up to help in their darkest hours are volunteers, armed with as little as 36 hours of training and often tasked with fighting bigger fires with fewer people than career departments.

Mansfield, and other cities within commuting distance of the planned Licking County Intel plant, are preparing for growth after a long period of decline.