Callie Curley
THE ALPHAS
Fire departments, both career and volunteer, are in what Steve Bair calls the "bad day business" - when the tones drop and trucks roll out, the destination is often the scene of another person's worst day.
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A series of surveys in recent years show that it isn't only those callers in need who experience bad days, but also the volunteer fire service itself.
As Fire Director for Centre Region Council of Governments, Bair is one of four salaried employees at Alpha Fire Company in State College. According to Bair, much of his job boils down to a single goal: keeping the department "as volunteer as possible for as long as possible" - a task that grows more daunting by the day, as the number of volunteer firefighters across Pennsylvania continues to dwindle.
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"In 1975, we had 350,000 volunteers in the fire service across Pennsylvania," Bair said, in reference to a recent fire study conducted by the Center for Rural Pennsylvania. "By 1980, we were down to about 150,000. There have been ups and downs in between, but the most recent reports say we are closer to the 40,000 mark today."
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While departments across Pennsylvania struggle to bring on younger volunteers to supplement an aging membership, Penn State students (and locals in the 18-22 range) account for approximately 30% of Alpha's active membership, with a dozen students operating as live-ins at the department's three stations.
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Tapping into the college town population has not come without challenges, however. While at any given time there may be a dozen or more students in the application and training processes, retention, especially after graduation becomes a rarity.
Those that do remain involved juggle classwork, outside employment and extra-curricular activities with their responsibilities at the firehouse - which, in addition to emergency responses, also includes an average of 70-100 hours of training throughout a single semester.
This photo story aims to capture the hours invested by volunteer fire departments in training and preparation to serve their communities.
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Members and officers of Alpha Fire Co. prepare the training scene at the Central Pennsylvania Institute of Science and Technology (CPI) public safety training course on April 15. The department hosts hundreds of hours of training in various situation types each year for both probationary and active members.
A simulation of a real-time emergency response, these probationary members stage in the truck waiting for the “tones to drop” - their signal to begin responding. In order to become an active member, an individual must submit and application with references, partake in an entrance interview and complete three stages of PERT training involving situations such as this, each of which take approximately a semester to master.
Probationary Firefighter Bogdan moves quickly to remove the necessary equipment from the truck and get to work during an April 15 training exercise. Bogdan is one of approximately 30 Penn State students who volunteer on a probationary or active basis at Alpha.
In a high-rise situation like the one depicted in this training, exterior preparations are as crucial as work done inside the building. This probationary member moves a ladder to second-story window. Participants in the training practiced fulfilling different roles and tasks to prepare for on-scene responsibilities.
Firefighter Bogdan works to ventilate a rooftop using a ventilation rescue saw while fellow trainee Firefighter Reinert looks on. Making cuts in a rooftop is a common practice in structure fire response, as it allows smoke and gases to escape the building, making it easier for responders inside to see and move throughout the building while fighting the flames.
Captain Randy Clouser assists a trainee in advancing hose line for an interior attack. Exercises such as this provide valuable experience for members to learn and gain experience before an actual emergency arises.
Probationary Firefighter Reinert returns a ladder to the truck following a Truck PERT exercise on April 15. More than a dozen probationary firefighters participated in the most recent PERT training series.
This probationary firefighter makes his way up multiple flights of stairs preparing to make entry into the building. The tool in his hand is a Halligan bar, used universally among firefighters and law enforcement for forcible entry, another critical skill developed during PERT training.
​On the other side of the training field, Engine PERT trainees prepare what is commonly called a high-rise pack, a bundle of hose packaged to allow for easy carrying into the upper levels of a high-rise for efficiency of use.
Captain Randy Clouser addresses probationary members following an interior response training exercise at CPI on April 15. Throughout the training process, department leadership works closely with trainees to provide a challenging, safe environment for learning. This includes providing feedback on performance and areas of improvement.
Probationary Firefighters Garey (standing) and Raquet await feedback from department leadership on their team’s response strategy during an April 15 interior training. After each stage within the 8-hour training, participants and facilitators gather to discuss strengths and improvements to be made in the exercise.