Liven Up Your Off Season as a Fire Company Volunteer!
December 5, 2023
SHIP BOTTOM, NJ (OCEAN)–The seasonal crowds are gone, leaving those who live or work here year-round with a quieter, slower island. Want to liven things up? Become a Ship Bottom Volunteer Fire Company (SBVFC) volunteer.
“The off-season is training season,” said SBVFC Chief Todd MacLennan. Of the about 300 emergency calls SBVFC answers annually, roughly half take place in the three summer months. Fewer responses allow the fire company to get busy with practice burns and other training sessions that are difficult to fit in during the summer, MacLennan said.
The lower call volume mean experienced firefighters, water rescue associates, and fire police have more time to mentor new volunteers – something especially valuable for those without previous experience, MacLennan said.
“It’s like getting into the pool – come on over and put your toe in first,” he said. “Come to a meeting, meet everybody, come to a drill. This is definitely the best time of year to join.”
The Kids Went to College, Dad Went to Fire School
Volunteer Firefighter Peter Maschal signed up with SBVFC and enrolled in fire school shortly after his twin daughters left for college. Fall 2010 was the perfect time not just because of his emptied nest, he said, but because his chiropractic practice has a less hectic schedule after the seasonal residents leave.
“I was looking for a way to give back to my community, to help my neighbors,” he said. “The fact that my work schedule slows down a bit in the off-season meant it was easier to make the commitment to go to classes for firefighting.”
Maschal had no previous firefighting experience, but the free training and the drills with seasoned SBVFC firefighters meant “I knew what I was doing when I went on the fire truck,” he said. “I had confidence.”
The Joy of Teamwork
Volunteer Firefighter Aidan Ryan played baseball in college and after graduation, missed the brotherhood of his teammates. “That was a huge draw to firefighting for me,” said Ryan, an insurance agent who has served on the SBVFC team for three years. “Being able to be part of a team, something bigger than myself, and helping the community is pretty awesome.”
Being a firefighter is fun, and helping people feels great – whether someone is in trouble on the water or roadway, a structure is burning, or any other of the myriad reasons people need help. “Something as simple as changing out a smoke detector can make a huge impact and prevent major tragedies, and that’s just a good feeling,” he said.
Many Ways to Make a Difference
MacLennan, the SBVFC chief, said the fire company reflects the Ship Bottom community, and both seasonal and year-round residents and people who work on the island make important contributions to the fire company.
He and other volunteers commute off the island for work, MacLennan said, and the contributions of volunteers who live elsewhere but spend their work days in Ship Bottom is invaluable. Seasonal resident volunteers, many of whom are firefighters or lifeguards elsewhere during the off-season, mean SBVFC benefits from more volunteers when call volumes are highest.
Ship Bottom Volunteer Fire Company needs multiple kinds of volunteers.• Firefighters respond to fires, water rescues, car accidents, and other emergencies.• Water rescue specialists utilize their skills to rescue people from the water• Fire Police bring calm and order to all emergencies by managing crowds and traffic.• Junior firefighters are teen members who train with and assist and can become full firefighters at 18.
• Administrative members perform non-emergency roles including fundraising, event support, truck maintenance, and much more.