Live-In Program Offers Experience and Free Space for Young Firefighters

Fire Chief Dave Andrews is creating opportunities for aspiring firefighters to build a strong, new volunteer force in Edgewood.

With a relatively new live-in program providing free training and housing for college students, along with new courses at the Community College of Allegheny County given in exchange for a five-year commitment to volunteer firefighting, Andrews said it is all about bringing new faces to the department.

And it's working.

"Every time we have a meeting now I see a new guy and say, 'Who's that?'" Andrews said.

The live-in program at the Edgewood Volunteer Fire Department started three years ago. Before the borough had a volunteer fire department, the street department also handled fire duty with two men regularly staying in the upstairs quarters.

Four years ago, the fire department had the living area refurbished while the borough took care of the costs, Andrews said. A year ago, members of the department painted the area, received donated furniture and installed Wifi for Internet, paving the way for the live-in program to exist.

"We opened it up to college students so if you are in college, you can live here in the station as long as you answer calls," he said. "We ask that they get firefighter training and learn to drive the trucks."

The station also runs EMT calls 24 hours a day, which is another area of growth in the department. Medical supplies are on the three fire trucks the department has right now.

"Now, people are hanging out down here because they are getting more calls and you have to keep them busy," Andrews said. "This is the first time that I have been here where we are up to 350 calls this year already, which is a major step in the right direction."

Now that the station is growing in programs and members, mutual aid calls are increasing along with the EMT calls – all opportunities for experience for young people who would like to become a part of the live-in program.

Edgewood Fire Captain Ben Reynolds said participants for the live-in program must be at least 18 years old, have a clean record, qualifications as an interior and exterior firefighter and a driver's license.

Special preference is given to those enrolled in the FireVEST program at CCAC, which gives free tuition in exchange for five years of volunteer service.

"It's all hands on," Reynolds said. "You live in the station, you're getting the call in the middle of the night and it's a pretty equal amount of structural and rescue calls."

Right now there is one college student participating. Charles Pratt, 20, of Groton, N.Y. moved into the station's living space at the end of August. He joined the department last November. A sophomore at the University of Pittsburgh, Pratt said he wanted the firefighting experience and the perks of living in a rent-free space.

"I like the experience because it's the field I want to go into and I like being able to hang out with the firefighters and being a part of the social things they do," Pratt said. "It's fun."

Pratt said he would recommend the program to those students who may even be unsure of whether or not they want to be firefighters in the long run.

"It looks good an any resume no matter what you do in the future and you make a lot of good friends," Pratt said.

Andrews' goal is to house four firefighters in the quarters at the borough building full-time.

"Your utilities are taken care of, you're two minutes from the bus way and you get the experience," Andrews said. "A lot of people who do something like this end up going into it professionally."

All training is covered by the department. Andrews said in addition to the hands-on experience the live-in program offers, participants also become a part of the camaraderie that comes with being a firefighter.

"On the weekends you have six, seven, eight guys upstairs," he said. "Any Steelers and Pens games we are up there and during the summer we cook out a lot."

For more information on the live-in program at the Edgewood Volunteer Fire Department, visit www.station137.com or email the chief at firechief@edgewoodboro.com. Messages also can be sent to 137station@gmail.com.