Volunteers help for peace of mind

by Nicholas Burch assistant news editor

Waking up at 3 a.m. is not a typical morning for most volunteers, unless you are a firefighter.

The Wayne Fire Company could possibly be one of the most underrated and disrespected services in the Radnor community.

Made up of 73 volunteers, counting ambulance, firefighters and five paid full-time members, they do their job without the need for praise.

When praise is given, a simple smile on their face and the blushing on their cheeks is all you will receive from them, because they do not do the job for praise, they do it for peace of mind.

A volunteer unit with chemistry and respect for one another comes together for the simple reason of helping people.

In a time where many people find it hard to juggle the responsibility of working, raising a family and going to school, the volunteers find a way to do it all.

Radnor High School student

Christian Craig finds a way to balance school, friends and still enjoy his senior year of high school.

"They stress school first,'' said Craig, who started in I 997 as a sophomore and does the job because of the enjoyment he receives from it. "They take it into consideration if you can not go out to fight a fire because of school," said Craig.

Craig could regret his time volunteering during his senior year of high school, but sees no negative in helping people.

"I missed Christmas dinner," said Craig. "It happens. It is in the responsibility."

Wayne Fire Company President, Max Klinger, stresses that the fire company always needs volunteers and wishes that the community would understand that a large majority of the company volunteers their time and effort.

"It is amazing how people react when they find out we are doing this as volunteers,'' said Klinger. "Everyone thinks we are getting paid and are shocked that we are volunteers."

''They [the community] think taxes are the cure for everything," said Klinger. "We get very little tax money."

Klinger was encouraged to volunteer through his neighbors and has never regretted making the decision.

"We are a service that needs to be provided," said Klinger.

Klinger emphasizes that volunteering is not the same as in the movies. There is no reason to join if you want a pat on the back or a flowering of accomplishments. To Klinger, volunteering is for a different reason.

"If you join for saving someone's life like in the movies, you are joining for the wrong reasons,'' said Klinger. "It is selfgratification in what you do. A sense of accomplishment."

In life, as in the movies, dealing with death can be a torturous and strenuous part of the job. Fortunately for Klinger, he has not had to deal with it.

"Personally, it has not happ~ned,'' said Klinger. "It has affected some of our crew and we offer counseling. It happens."

"It will definitely affect how you react the next time,'' said Craig.

According to Klinger, the most important thing to remember is that this is done mostly on a volunteer basis.

"Regardless of what you do full-time, this is not your top pri- ority,'' said Klinger.

An example of volunteering not being the top priority would be Joe Monestere, a senior from Villanova University. Monestere, who started volunteering in 1996 on the ambulance crew, wanted to be part of the Fire Company because of friends who already volunteered. For him, the hardest thing to deal with is balancing school with volunteering.

"School is the No. l priority, then volunteering," said Monestere. "There is a great deal of pressure with school and grades."

Monestere, who once had only one hour of sleep before classes because he was fighting a fire the night before, is his own personal trainer.

"You just have to tell yourself to suck it up and do your work,'' said Monestere. "It is very demanding."

Klinger praises word of mouth as the strongest form of recruiting volunteer fire fighters. Recent Cabrini College graduate Chris Schmidt was a member of the volunteer fire fighters. Klinger urges more Cabrini students to follow in Schmidt's footsteps.

Chris Hannigan, a volunteer, says that the company is a form of brotherhood for some of the volunteers.

"The company is like a co-ed fraternity," said Hannigan.

The best way to summarize volunteering as a firefighter is from Hannigan.

"When you are out all night in the cold and the rain you start to doubt why you are here. I remember what I was told when I was younger-you wanted to be a firefighter," said Hannigan.

When praise is due and needed, the Wayne Fire Company does not accept it; they only ask that you take into consideration the time, effort and struggle the volunteers go through.

Ways to help the Wayne Fire Company would be through helping them in their fundraising efforts. A pancake breakfast will be held in March and a spaghetti dinner in April. According to Klinger, both will be held around the third Sunday in each month, and both will help raise money for the company. In the beginning of April, a fundraising letter will go out.

If you are interested in becoming a volunteer, you can call (610) 687-3245.