Stationed to Serve
Adams Area Fire District responds to 800 calls a year.
That works out to be about 15 calls per week.
Since the district's roughly 45 active volunteer firefighters are parents, students and business professionals, the emergency workload can be overwhelming.
That's why the district's forefathers took steps to develop a live-in firefighter program, according to fire Chief Tim Llewellyn.
“They all started to look around and explore other things,” Llewellyn said. “The education of the firefighter never seems to stop.”
When the district moved to its Route 228 location in 2017, eight single bedrooms were slated for future live-in firefighters.
Four years later, seven beds are occupied by live-ins. Bed #4 is reserved for a senior department member who can drive the truck on overnight calls.
“You're pretty much making a new family,” said Jake Gallich, who's been living at the station for two or three months.
Gallich, 22, is originally from Allentown. He was part of two other live-in programs before joining the district's.“It's kind of always been something that I've done,” Gallich said. “It makes it interesting.”Gallich said the programs he joined before moving weren't as developed as the district's.Here, he said, more people are involved. There are also more opportunities for training, advancement and real-life experience.“We always find stuff to keep ourselves busy,” Gallich said.Gallich explained his fellow live-ins are more like siblings than friends.Most nights, the hardest group decision to make is what to cook for dinner.
Having single bedrooms — which are separate from the department's bunk room — means there's space for overnight staffing.Live-ins play a vital roll in managing fire calls and maintaining the station.“It takes so much work off of everybody's responsibility,” Llewellyn said. “That takes the stress off of the folks who live at home.”The district's live-in program requires applicants to be full- or part-time employees or students. They also need to have their own health insurance.Llewellyn said these standards lead to applicants who understand the importance of personal responsibility.“We want them to be productive members of society,” Llewellyn said.By day, Gallich works for Amazon. He's planning to transition to landscaping in coming months with a friend.Community is Gallich's favorite part of joining the fire district.“It's great seeing more people around all the time,” Gallich said. “We're all really open with each other.”That doesn't mean the district doesn't have room for more volunteers.To stay fully staffed day and night any time of the year, Llewellyn said the district must attract volunteers “from all walks of life.”“We are so blessed in our ability to attract talented people,” he said.
Most live-ins are 18 to 23 year olds, according to Llewellyn, and looking for “something different.” The district offers stipend shifts, during which volunteers can earn $40 for working eight hours.But for live-ins, the bigger incentive is room and board. A full kitchen and recreation space means volunteers have a place to call home after work or school.In an effort to be as accommodating as possible, Llewellyn said the district has trial periods.“We have a very liberal what we call 'ride-along program,'” Llewellyn said.Prospective volunteers and live-ins can visit the station and go on calls as they occur. Llewellyn said contracts are only signed after it is determined the applicant is a good fit.The district builds on the Firefighter 1 exam, which volunteers must pass before joining. Regular drills allow it to advance company knowledge while promoting community.Over the next several weeks, the district is focusing on rapid intervention technique. This teaches firefighters how to rescue other firefighters at a scene.Llewellyn said the live-in program is designed so those using it are guided by the more established firefighters.Lt. Xavier Jimenez is developing a new members manual that Llewellyn hopes to use for future recruits. Llewellyn said the manual is based on Jimenez's training journey.
Volunteers don't need to live in Adams, Mars or Valencia to join the district. They don't even need to live in Butler County. The group attracts volunteers from across the state.Llewellyn said one of the perks of being part of the fire district is that active status is based on performance.In some volunteer companies, a member maintains active status by fulfilling checklist criteria, such as attending a certain number of meetings.It's hard to regulate volunteers that way when they're giving up their free time to risk their lives, according to Llewellyn.He said the district has been able to develop its live-in program and member base by working around the needs of volunteers.“We have to have that flexibility,” Llewellyn said. “At any minute, any one of these guys (could) make a life choice that's going to take them away from us.”Llewellyn said the district has four volunteers with officer status from Pittsburgh. On weekends, they serve here.They may not be full-time members, but Llewellyn said they bring with them valuable knowledge and experience.In 2019, members christened a new rescue truck “Step Up.” The name refers to an extra step added onto the back of the truck.It also declares the district's overall objective.“We're asking the members to step up and rise to that level of commitment and availability,” Llewellyn said.
Gallich said he's considering moving permanently to Western Pennsylvania, based on his experience with the district.His dream is to be a paid firefighter somewhere. Right now, Gallich said he's looking into what it takes to be hired as a firefighter through the Department of Defense.Not everyone would be willing to move from Allentown to Adams Township to stand ready for any emergency.It takes a special type of person to walk into burning buildings, cut through crashed vehicles and jump into freezing water to help strangers.Gallich doesn't see it that way.“It really comes down to who you are,” Gallich said. “What do I have to lose?”
