Aurora’s volunteer fire department vital

Dear Editor:
Aurora Volunteer Fire Department Volunteers and volunteering has been an integral part of our country and certainly our community since the beginning. There are many ways to dedicate your precious time to the greater good and to further the cause most passionate to you. With social media, it’s easier than ever to learn about a need and it’s often hard not to care deeply about that need which inspires us to get involved.  
Our community has amazing volunteers doing incredible work on foundation boards, veterans organizations, the animal shelter, A-ROR-N Days and the county fair, hospital thrift shop, Meals on Wheels and Plainsman Museum. The list goes on and on and I regret that I can’t mention (or even think of) them all right off hand. It’s easy to see that volunteers and a spirit of volunteerism is alive and well in our community! And what a wonderful gift each of these people are!
There is one group, however, that I’d like to highlight -- the Aurora Volunteer Fire Department. With the exception of the fire chief, the fire department is all volunteer.  When you see the big red trucks go by or the large white Rescue 1 vehicle, the responders in that vehicle are volunteers. These are highly trained, well-equipped men and women that just a few minutes before you see them streak by with “lights and sirens” they were at home grilling dinner, or playing catch in the back yard, or hard at work in a local business, or sleeping soundly in the dark of night. Any time, day or night, they may be summoned to help a neighbor or a total stranger who may be having the worst day ever. And they drop everything and go! You’ll never hear, “Well I’m not on call today.” Aurora’s volunteer firefighters are on call every minute of every day.
Within minutes of the pager going off they’ve donned heavy protective clothing and they’re rushing to someone else’s emergency. Then when the fire is out, the rescue complete, the equipment is cleaned and made ready for the next call, they go home and warm up some dinner, catch the last innings of the ball game, catch a few hours of sleep (if possible) before work. They disappear back into the every-day of our town.  
But before ever becoming a firefighter, there is the training. To enter a burning building requires that you know and have confidence in your protective gear. You need to understand the chemistry and behavior of fire in order to safely attack it. You need to know the pumper, the jaws, the tanker, the ladders. You need to know how your actions affect everybody else on the scene and you’re always aware of and watching for hazards that may harm you or others.  
Hundreds of hours of training go into making a firefighter and a firefighting team. The sign above the door at the fire station that the trucks pass under as they leave on a call reads, “Everybody Goes Home”. That’s the reality, the training, teamwork, and a level of care that is unmatched in any other volunteer job.
So, you may be asking yourself, “And why would they do this?” Like anything, being a volunteer firefighter is not for everyone. There are naturally physical requirements and background checks. I can’t describe or even come close to defining what that thing is that leads an individual to leave home or work, charge into freezing rain, or grueling heat, step into a set of bunker pants, strap on the coat and helmet, climb on the truck and within minutes be rolling toward a dynamic emergency situation knowing that lives and property likely depend on what they do in the next few minutes. But I am so thankful that they do answer the call.  
So why am I telling you all of this? In several recent conversations I’ve learned that many people don’t know that Aurora has a volunteer fire department. Yes, the Aurora Volunteer Fire department was founded in 1889 and has a proud history of serving our community professionally staffed by volunteers. The department is currently in need of new members and needs to perpetuate the bringing on of new members as senior firefighters (some having served 30 or 40 years) gradually decide to hang it up. The total numbers of members on the department is important, because not everybody can make every call every time. Members may be out of town when the call comes in, or unable to leave a critical evolution at work, can’t leave the kids, whatever! And nobody schedules their emergencies to be most convenient for the responders. Having more volunteers at the ready means that there are always those that can respond to bring a rapid, well-trained team to whatever is demanded by that 911 emergency.  
Further, as our community discusses city budgets, I believe that the volunteer fire department is critical to and the bedrock upon which we build efficient operations of emergency services in Aurora (as it is in every small town in America).
So I hope I’ve answered some questions about this critical volunteer need and maybe you, or someone you know might consider stepping into those boots. Make no mistake, it’s a big commitment, but if you’ve ever wanted to be a part of something bigger than yourself, this may be your calling. 
For more information, please contact any member of the fire department or you may contact me at harlanschafer@gmail.com.
Note: The Aurora Ambulance Service (Emergency Medical Service) is a division of the Aurora Fire Department that serves Hamilton County with separate budgeting and staffing requirements. The fire department often serves in support of the Ambulance/EMS service and vice versa. Ambulance service personnel train with and many are members of the volunteer fire department and respond as volunteers when not on shift with the ambulance. These career fire-medics have firefighting capabilities and assist with maintenance of the fire apparatus and many other functions within the department. This close working relationship and mutual support underscores the importance of volunteer firefighters in the overall emergency response capabilities of the city.
Harlan Schafer, Aurora,
A 15-year veteran of the Aurora Fire Department, including six as chief