Posted Wednesday, June 13, 2012 --- 6:40 a.m.

MADISON, Wis. (AP) -- The number of volunteer firefighters in Wisconsin is holding steady, even as national numbers are at their lowest levels in more than 20 years.

Philip Stittleburg is the fire chief in LaFarge in western Wisconsin. He's also the president of the National Volunteer Fire Council.

He tells Wisconsin Public Radio (http://bit.ly/LROVIv ) that numbers are down across the U.S. in part because of the economy. He says when times are bad, people work overtime or take second jobs, leaving them less time to volunteer as firefighters.

But he says Wisconsin isn't seeing the same decline, partially due to geography. He says in rural areas people learn to stick together and answer the call when their neighbors need help.

Stittleburg also credits a state-sponsored retirement program as an effective recruitment tool.

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Information from: Wisconsin Public Radio, http://www.wpr.org

Copyright 2012. The Associated Press.