The Fairmount Fire Company has proudly served the residents of Lansdale Borough for more than 120 years, operating as a 100-percent volunteer unit throughout its history. As one could expect, recruiting has been an ongoing initiative over the years, and leadership currently is seeking to bolster its ranks with a few good men and women who have daytime availability.
"Our biggest focus right now is recruiting people who are available during the daytime,” said Gavin Butler, an Assistant Chief with the Fairmount Fire Company. "We’re really trying to recruit residents who may work second or third shift, and have daytime availability for calls.”
As their staff numbers currently stand, Fairmount has 32 active members, along with four fire police and roughly a dozen honorary members. Those numbers include eight new volunteers this year, but in total, the number falls below the preferred number of 50 active members for the all-volunteer unit.
"We’ve had a good influx of new members this year,” said Butler. "I think the stipend helps contribute to that. They obviously aren’t doing it for the money, and you can’t make a living off of it, but it’s a nice little bonus check at the end of the year.”
The stipend to which Butler is referring is a financial incentive for fire company members that pays $20 per call, after a member meets the minimum call requirement. Butler added that most members end up receiving a bonus check at the end of the year, with several earning upwards of $4,000 to $5,000 from the incentive.
According to Fairmount Fire Chief Joe Stockert, the fire company is seeking energetic, committed members with a strong sense of duty. Junior members can volunteer at the age of 16—with some restrictions and limitations on what types of duties they can perform—but those restrictions are lifted for anyone who is 18 or older. Volunteers must be able to pass a physical stating that they are healthy enough to serve, and have the commitment to attend weekly training at the firehouse as well as Firefighter One Certification at the Montgomery County Fire Academy.
"We need people that are committed, that want to come out here and help,” said Stockert. "We train here every Thursday night, plus they go to a class at the Montgomery County Fire Academy [for certification]. The fire company pays for all of their training and gear.”
The Firefighter One course takes an estimated 200 hours to complete, but Butler said members are given time and flexibility to complete the training.
"We all have jobs and families, so we understand the need to take time with the course,” said Butler, adding that members without the Firefighter One certification are still allowed to train and go on calls, only with the restriction that they cannot perform interior work at an active scene.
"From the moment they volunteer, we’ll start them on our weekly training and get them up to speed,” said Butler. "Thursday night training is when we go into detail. We train in regards to interior firefighting, vehicle rescues, high angle rescues, confined space training, trench rescues, hazardous materials… It never ends.”
For many of the current members, camaraderie and making an impact in the community are the primary drivers for their service. Butler recalled his first fire scene—Lansbowl—as one of the memories that has stuck with him over his years of service.
"I had only been with the fire company for a month when we had a huge four alarm fire,” said Butler. "After we had been out there for 15 to 16 hours, we’re doing our mop up and the residents from the homes next door came and thanked us for saving their homes. It gave me chills to know that we were able to help protect their homes, and it’s something that has stuck with me ever since.”
For Stockert, who joined the fire company in 1983 at the age of 17, volunteering served as a way to keep him both focused and out of trouble.
"The fire company helped keep me out of trouble in my youth, as I was always up here,” said Stockert. "When you go to someone’s house that’s on fire and are able to help them out… it feels good. When you pull someone out of a building, or cut a car apart to rescue someone from a vehicle… it feels great to be able to help.”
No Volunteer Ambiguity
Despite being an all-volunteer force, members of the Fairmount Fire Company receive the same training and are as equally capable as a paid or combo unit.
"Pennsylvania is the biggest state volunteer-wise, meaning if you don’t have a volunteer, you don’t have a firefighter in many communities,” said Tani Stout, a firefighter with Fairmount Fire Company. "Sometimes people ask me if I’m a ‘real’ firefighter or a volunteer, but they’re both the same thing. The fire doesn’t know or care whether we’re volunteer or paid.”
In fact, the majority of the fire companies in the North Penn area are 100-percent volunteer based, with the exception of the Fire Department of Montgomery Township, which is a combination of paid/volunteer staff, having paid personnel for 10 hours each weekday during the daytime.
How to Volunteer
Anyone interested in volunteering with the Fairmount Fire Company is encouraged to visit the company's website (click here) or reach out to Jim Gray via its social media page on Facebook (click here).
Additionally, interested parties are welcome to attend and view Thursday training sessions at the firehouse—located at 100 Vine Street—or stop by the displays at every Lansdale First Friday.
For more information on volunteering, please click here.
See also:
Lansdale's Fairmount Fire Company Struggles to Find Recruits
(UPDATED) Reports of Dwelling Fire on Walnut Street in Lansdale
Christmas Fire in Lansdale Displaces Family, Kills Dog
Fire Damages Lansdale Koffee Korner, Apartments
Water Slides, Beer Garden And Lindsey McKay: A Look At The July First Friday Lineup
