OLSH has a history based in service, both to Christ and to the community. Four OLSH seniors, Joe DeAngelis, Jonathan Kim, Nathan Nicklas, and Joe Weber, have taken that service to a new level by becoming junior volunteer firefighters.
Junior firefighters are defined as any youth, 17 or younger who belongs to a fire company/department. Unlike full service firefighters, juniors are unable to partake in active fires/accident scenes, due to Pennsylvania law requiring active personnel to be at least 18 years of age. However, while juniors cannot participate directly in calls, they can still learn various skills, take introductory classes, and develop leadership skills, especially ones needed while on the line of duty. Recently, Jonathan Kim reached his 18th birthday and is the first of the four students to graduate to a full firefighter.
Jonathan Kim and Nathan Nicklas belong to the Wexford Volunteer Fire Company, Station 228. In 2016, the WVFC celebrated its 95th Anniversary, culminating with its annual member banquet in December. During this event, members carried out staged emergency responses (shown here) for the community and family members, and had a fellowship dinner for company members and family afterward. During the event, multiple awards were given to various members who went above and beyond the call of duty. Jonathan Kim was awarded both the Junior Firefighter of the Year recognition and a $500 scholarship from the WVFC board. Nathan and Jonathan also filmed and edited the company’s annual banquet video, which can be found on the WVFC’s Facebook page. For more information about the WVFC, visit https://www.facebook.com/WexfordVFC/.
If you or someone you know is interested in joining the fire service, see any of the mentioned seniors for a recommendation! It is a great way to give back to the community and truly is a rewarding experience!