According to the U.S. Fire Administration, 90% of Pennsylvania’s 1,803 fire departments are all-volunteer, and another 6.7% are mostly volunteers. Add those numbers up and volunteers account for approximately 96% of all firefighters in Pennsylvania, which is the third-highest percentage in the nation.

With the exception of Altoona, every fire department in Blair County is all-volunteer and depends on its citizens to protect the community from fires and respond to emergencies.

However, the number of volunteer firefighters in Pennsylvania has plummeted from a high of 360,000 in the 1970s to fewer than 37,000 today.

Volunteer departments in Tyrone and the surrounding area are trying to solve this problem in a number of ways.

One promising way is by recruiting students to get involved while still in high school.

A bill currently in the PA State Legislature that would create state grants to establish fire training programs for students in high school was introduced by Senator Michele Brooks. The bill passed the Senate unanimously but has yet to be voted in the House.

But several current TAHS students haven’t been sitting around waiting for that bill to pass. They have already answered the call and are highly involved with their local volunteer fire departments.

Tyrone senior Rayann Walls has been a junior member of the Neptune Fire Company for three years.

“I joined the fire department to follow in my family’s footsteps. My father has been a volunteer firefighter for almost 25 years at the Neptune Fire Company. I have been around the fire service since I was born. I have a passion for serving others and putting others before myself,” said Walls.

For Walls, some of the best things about being a volunteer firefighter is the opportunity to be involved in her community.

“There are a lot of community events that we get to attend throughout the year such as parades, Irish Heritage Days, Farm City Days, and safety day events are all events where we get to interact with the public while they ask questions. Being able to explain to younger students and community members what we get to do is also rewarding,” said Walls.

Training can also be fun, said Walls.

“On one of our training nights, we worked with power tools [like] cutters and spreaders. We tried to move a water bottle back and forth between cones without breaking it. This training taught us the proper pressure and control of these tools for events like motor vehicle accidents when we may have to extricate a patient from the vehicle,” said Walls.

Like Walls, junior Aiden Meredith joined the fire department because of his dad.

Service as a volunteer firefighter is often something that passes down from generation to generation.

Meredith said that the toughest part for most people is taking that first step to show up and get involved.

“The most rewarding part is doing something good for the community,” said Meredith.

Meredith also said that he’s had a lot of fun going to other fire stations for training and making new friends with young people who are involved in their departments.

While volunteers under 18 are not allowed to fight fires or enter burning structures, they are still able to do many things, said Tyrone senior Jenna Weyer, who joined the Hookies Fire Department several years ago.

According to Weyer, they can go to fires, but their focus is on helping to support the senior firefighters. They can help change air packs and bring or return tools to the other firefighters. They can also assist senior firefighters at the scene of motor vehicle accidents, help maintain equipment, attend events and parades, and do numerous jobs around the firehouse.

They can also help with fundraising, which is really important, according to Weyer.

“I started hanging out at the fire department a lot and it sparked my interest. Over the years I’ve learned to love this community and I enjoy being able to help the community when it is in need,” said Weyer.

Recent fires in Tyrone serve as a reminder of how quickly disaster can strike and the importance of having a strong volunteer fire department to rely on.

“The toughest part about belonging to the fire department is the things that you can encounter at any moment, not all calls are bad but not all calls are great,” said Weyer, “It’s important to keep in mind that you are seeing victims and family members at very hard times, and it is important to help in any way possible.”

The bravery and dedication of the firefighters who risk their lives to save others is a testament to the strength of the community.

“The learning experience and memories made have made it fun for me. On every call or every training, I’ve been able to learn very valuable information. I’ve also been able to create memories that will last a lifetime thanks to the help of those who have helped me every step of the way,” said Weyer.

Students who are interested in joining one of the many local volunteer fire departments should contact the department or talk to a current member for more information.