CLEARFIELD – “I really love being a volunteer fireman. Been one all my life,” began Stephen Wirth, guest speaker for the Clearfield Volunteer Fire Department’s annual banquet.
Wirth, attorney at law at Page Wolfberg & Wirth, spoke to the gathered crowd filled with volunteer firefighters, friends, families and acquaintances on the good of being a volunteer firefighter. Stating that it is volunteer services that make America great.
“The relationship you have with your community is a sacred one of trust,” said Wirth.
However, along with the praise of the good came reality of the bad. Bringing them out in hopes of realizing the errors of others that others may not imitate these errors.
“In Pennsylvania we have the highest loss of firefighters in the U.S.,” said Wirth, adding that only South Caroline beat the state.
Three reasons were given for this statistic. The first being the high number of volunteer firefighters that serve in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. The second being linked to poor self-care in terms of health. The final reason supplied by Wirth was a tendency to speed. The last one stressed with the claim 90 percent of firefighter and emergency medical services lawsuits originated from vehicular accidents.
“In our department we have an eight hour rule,” said Wirth. The rule being if a volunteer had drank any alcohol in the previous eight hours they would not go on call.
To give credence to the importance of this rule Wirth mentioned two accidents. The first of an EMS driver who allegedly ran through people while intoxicated, and the second about a crashed engine whose driver later was tested to be legally drunk.
“Be kind to others,” said Wirth.
The story from the woman was one about a group of firefighters and EMS called to aid her husband, an overweight man stuck on the second floor from whatever the ailment was. The woman contacted Wirth after she overheard the same fire people she had called in hopes of helping her husband making fun of him on her front lawn.
“Don’t think no one notices. We get the calls, we get the lawsuits.”
Despite the gloom, Wirth ended on a cheerful note, explaining a report by USA Today detailing the jobs people felt had the highest prestige and the lowest. According to Wirth EMS, firefighters and police were in the top group.
“We see [citizens of our community] at their worst moments, but the public is proud at what we do,” explained Wirth.
State Rep. Camille “Bud” George was also present for the banquet, accompanied by his daughter.
George touched on to the topic of the dwindling number of volunteer firefighters. A number that has gone from 300,000 in the 1970s to 70,000 currently, according to George.
“It is time Pennsylvanians backed their volunteer firefighters,” said George.
Saying that it is through these volunteers that Pennsylvania saves “millions”, it is time Pennsylvania helps make being a volunteer easier through paying for programs less than the money saved or risk seeing eventually the end of volunteer firefighters. The programs proposed would be aiding volunteers with college tuition and health care, while also potentially providing tax credits.
The memorial speech, given by the Rev. Rodger Gorton, used the baseball player Ted Williams to make a point about firefighters. Telling the gale of Williams’ final game as a demonstration of how Williams put a saying of his namesake into practice. The namesake in question being Teddy Roosevelt. The saying being the well known “speak softly and carry a big stick”.
“All of you [volunteers] are like that,” said Gorton.
That firefighters go out there with their “big sticks” to put out fires, but speaking softly otherwise. Not seeking attention or glory for what they do.
The bell rang fifteen times as each of the names was read from the list of members of the wards who had passed away in the previous year. Station one with three people: Hershel Dixon, Willard Fontenoy and Timothy Geppert. Station two lost four people: John Mann, Chris Blake, Francis McAtee and Robert Green. The final eight from the third ward: James Guthrie, Judd Zimmer, Raymond Young, Leo Lanich, Leslie McRae, James Rauch, Charles Clark and Arthur Baumgardner.