In order to serve and protect the community, the Souderton Volunteer Fire Department has been keeping Souderton safe from fires, accidents and public service emergencies since 1901.
Fire is a threat that has been a problem in the Souderton community for some time.
In order to minimize or avoid damage, Souderton enlists volunteers to help combat fires.
According to volunteer firefighter Steve Costa, firefighters help with fire, rescue and public assistance calls. Many stations are looking for more volunteers.
“It is something that a lot of people should get into. You are helping out the community and learning many valuable skills in the process,” Costa said. “Many people may consider if they can join.”
According to junior firefighter Jacob Godshall the minimum age is around 16 years old, depending on where the station is located.
Before being allowed to volunteer, volunteers go through training in multiple fields.
“All you have to do is go to fire school,” Costa said. “It is called firefighter one, as soon as you become that, you get your structural burn.”
”To be a firefighter, future volunteers must apply to the department. Apply and more than likely they’re going to accept because we’re always we. We’re always in need of more people,” Godshall said. “There are also tax breaks for attending training.”
According to junior firefighter Colton Mussleman the best part of the job is having a lot of training and knowledge that comes with the work.
According to paramedic Joe Vogelgesang, being a firefighter is a great aid to the community and more people should join.
Some say being a first responder isn’t always easy.
“You see things that are not seen every day: death and injury. The bad things are just part of the job,” Costa said.
Mussleman said another issue with the job is that it “eats away at your time,” taking up a lot of time and energy with each call.
According to Costa, there are about 400 to 600 fire calls a year, not including other calls that are made.
Such as public service calls, which there are about 200 per year.
Being a volunteer is not cheap however. “It costs around $4,500 to $7,500 per firefighter suit,” Costa said. “All of this is federal tax dollars.”
That is the price of just clothing for the firefighters.
According to Costa, a new ladder truck can cost around $2.5 million.
All of this is made through the budget allowed by the states and other fundraising measures.
All of the purchasing allows the fire department to function properly.
“You have to have a fire truck, you have to have gears. You need all of these tools or the fire department can not function and work to the best of its ability,” Costa said.