New Firefighters Drive in Full Swing

The does more than just fight fires for 40,000-plus residents – they build a sense of community.

And during September and October, they're looking for new recruits to "Join the Team," this year's volunteer drive slogan.

The company, which has four career firefighters who work on scheduled hours during the day, boasts about 60 volunteer members who actively respond to calls. 

"If available, we have very, very strong volunteer services," Fire Chief Adam Selisker said.

The only problem is, they still need more.

New volunteers must be 16 or older, and those under 18 are considered junior members. They're not allowed to be interior firefighters, nor can they deal with hazardous materials or power equipment, Selisker said.

Training begins with an in-house pre-certification course, conducted by the NTVFC and lasting six to eight weeks. In that course instructors go over basic safety procedures and operations, Selisker said.

Starting in February, the 180-hour certification course provided by the Pennsylvania State Fire Academny begins. This year, one will be held in Northampton at the . Throughout the course, volunteers learn all the training skills they'll need on the job, such as CRP/AED and first aid, hazardous materials training, operations and more, he said.

The class runs usually one or two nights a week and some weekends, ending around May. Once it's over, volunteers graduate and are considered certified firefighters. From there they can move onto more specialized training if they wish, including rescue techniques, emergency medical services or more advance firefighting techniques.

"We would like to have firefighters for all three [stations]," Selisker said, "especially focusing on the . It's important that we have a balanced number."

When a volunteer joins, he or she is assigned to the station closest to his or her home, but volunteers may report to any station when a call goes out. An active member generally reports to 10 to 15 calls per month. The company as a whole received roughly 900 calls last year – 600 of those as fire calls and 300 as emergency medical calls, Selisker said.

The company will also have its annual open house on Oct. 14 during Fire Prevention Week. That night all three stations will be open to the public providing safety demonstrations, hands-on activities for kids, food, drinks and information about how to become a new volunteer. 

"Meet your neighbors who are also your firefighters," Selisker said.

Anyone interested in joining can call the Fire Marshal's Office at (215) 357-6800 or stop by any fire station around 7 p.m. on Monday nights.