Billboard effort focuses on firefighting recruitment in Western Pa.

“Ordinary people trained to do the extraordinary.”

That’s the message on a billboard along Perry Highway in McCandless, and Ingomar Volunteer Fire Company Chief Greg Quatchak hopes it will pique some interest.

“Hopefully, we get a lot of inquiries,” Quatchak said.

Ingomar’s phone number and website also are listed on the billboard — along with the plea “Allegheny County volunteer firefighters needed.”

It’s part of a recruitment effort by the Allegheny County Volunteer Firemen’s Association, which recently was awarded a SAFER — Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response — grant of $345,600 from FEMA’s Assistance to Firefighter Grants program.

The firemen’s association will use the grant money to help fund the recruitment of volunteers over four years to members of the organization, said Rick Lewis, financial secretary and logistics officer for the ACVFA.

ACVFA has been around since 1914 to provide support to its 150-some fire department members located in and near Allegheny County, Lewis said.

Members were able to apply for the unique advertising opportunity in fall 2024 for a chance to be advertised on the billboard, and the top eight were selected. Ingomar Volunteer Fire Company was one of them.

Sole bidder Lamar Advertising won the billboard job.

Hoping for volunteers

“I hope a lot of people see that billboard, and say, ‘I do want to become a volunteer.’ I know Forward Township already had two people see it and joined,” Lewis said.

A total of 32 companies will be awarded over a four-year span, or eight each year from 2025 to 2028, Lewis said.

Other fire companies that were selected for the first year include volunteer departments in Bellevue, Fawn, Forward Township, Plum, South Versailles, West Homestead and White Oak, Lewis said.

The next opportunity for members of the firemen’s association to apply for a billboard will be in the fall, Lewis said. For details about the program, email Lewis at acvffa177@gmail.com.

Ingomar’s billboard, installed on April 1, will be up for only 12 weeks.

As of April 25, no prospective volunteers had stepped forward, said Quatchak, lamenting that recruiting continues to be a challenge for the department.

“We occasionally get inquiries. When they find out what training is required, they said they’ll come back when their children have grown up,” Quatchak said.

The timing of the outdoor advertising was key since April was National Volunteer Month.

Thomas Cook, Pennsylvania’s fire commissioner, issued a news release to encourage people to sign up at their local fire stations.

“It is kind of neat it coincides with National Volunteer Month,” Quatchak said.

An estimated 90% of Pennsylvania’s 2,000-plus fire companies rely on volunteers, according to Cook’s statement. They save Pennsylvania communities an estimated $10 billion annually in costs that would otherwise be needed for paid firefighting services, Cook said.

A shared plight

Ingomar isn’t the only one looking for more help.

Like other fire companies, Highland Volunteer Fire Department in McCandless maintains a community presence with informal recruiting such as touch-a-truck events and neighborhood parades, according to Shawn O’Brien, a life member at Highland.

“Being in the public and interacting can be an effective recruitment tool,” O’Brien said.

But there’s no magic number.

“We can never have enough volunteers. People assume we only need firefighting members, and while that’s true, we also need nonfirefighting members who can perform the administrative tasks like finances, public relations, filing the various county and state reports required annually, groundskeepers, mechanics, IT specialists and anything else it takes to run a small business,” O’Brien said.

The volunteer fire departments are great places for younger adults, 15 and older, to build a skill set and learn discipline, teamwork, camaraderie and be an environment to network and build lifelong friendships, O’Brien said.

The department also is looking to work with the local school district to introduce entry-level firefighting skills to students, according to Seth Merriman, a captain at Highland.

“One of the barriers we must overcome is to ensure that the entire community knows that we are a volunteer fire department. Oftentimes, we receive comments from residents about being a paid firefighter, rather than asking about the paying job we left in order to go assist one of our neighbors as a volunteer,” O’Brien said.

Attracting young blood

Mike Cangilla, assistant chief at the Highland Volunteer Fire Department, said applicants can be as young as 15, which begins the junior program up to 18. This training is “nonstructural,” and fire companies such as Highland follow child labor laws and other underage requirements, he said.

“We will also provide training,” he said.

Highland, like many departments, also offers an income tax credit of $500 based on income if certain requirements are met. And Allegheny County soon will be offering credit on real estate, Cangilla said.

Peebles Volunteer Fire Company, also in McCandless, has about 42 firefighting members on the roster. About 25 respond to calls on a regular basis.

“Our goal would be to have 10 firefighters respond to calls. Additionally, we have about eight admin members who do nonfirefighting tasks,” said Paul Wain, president of Peebles.

All three volunteer fire departments in McCandless — Highland, Ingomar and Peebles — plan to apply for an upcoming FEMA SAFER grant, Quatchak said.

While the grant has not yet been advertised, Quatchak said they already are prepping for the application.

This would provide a stipend to volunteer firefighters who are stationed at the department for a certain part of the day, Quatchak said.

“Basically, volunteers would sign up for a shift to commit to being at the station for a set period and get a set small amount per hour or shift to be ‘on call.’ This ensures a vehicle can get on the road and we have a minimum number of volunteers available to respond at given times of the day,” O’Brien said.

Quatchak said they want to be ready once the grant is announced. The grant period is open for 45 days.

The Bradford Woods Volunteer Fire Company also is looking to boost its ranks. Station 115 currently has six active firefighters and one ground support volunteer, according to Shelly Muhlenkamp, who serves as the fire company’s vice president.

They also have four relief association volunteer members and 15 general volunteers for community events, fundraising or community safety programs, she said.

“Our Junior Firefighter Program is designed for high school students, ages 14 to 17, who are self-motivated and looking to pursue a career or volunteer opportunity in community service, safety, firefighting, emergency medicine or rescue services. When accepted as a junior firefighter, the BWVFC will provide the student with all necessary training for CPR and firefighting certification,” she said.

Bradford Woods and other local fire companies participate in Community College of Allegheny County’s FireVEST, an academic scholarship opportunity. The FireVEST program — or Volunteer, Education, Service and Training — provides full scholarships for an associate degree or certificate program at CCAC, as well as training at the Allegheny County Fire Academy, according to CCAC’s website.

Community members interested in volunteering are encouraged to visit the fire hall at 4908 Wexford Run Road every second or third Tuesday evening of the month, Muhlenkamp said, or email bradfordwoodsvfc@gmail.com.

Awareness is key

Roger Sechler, captain of Franklin Park’s Station 158, has seen the billboard and thinks it’s a great idea.

“Anything we and our neighboring fire companies can do to build awareness and interest in the volunteer fire service helps us deliver on our mission of supporting our communities,” he said.

The Franklin Park Volunteer Fire Company has about 38 members who are active in responding to calls, but not every member is able to make every call, Sechler said.

These members also vary in terms of how they support the fire company. Many are interior firefighters and vehicle rescue technicians who provide most of the emergency response services, while others drive and operate the apparatus or provide ground support.

“While we currently have a good number of active members, we need more community members to step up to help ensure we can provide the services our community needs. More active members helps ensure that calls are answered with an appropriate number of firefighters. It helps reduce burnout and challenges balancing work/family/firefighting — and improves the overall experience of everyone who volunteers. We are especially looking for members who are willing and able to perform firefighting and rescue activity and actively respond to calls,” Sechler said.

Through the Allegheny County Fire Academy and in-house training, the Franklin Park department provides all of the training required to become an active firefighter.

Interested residents should look for the firefighters during Franklin Park’s Festival in the Park on June 28, where applications and information on how to become a volunteer will be available. The department also plans an annual Firefighter for a Day event in the fall, in partnership with many neighboring fire companies, Sechler said.

“This event is a great opportunity to learn more about several local fire companies and experience some of the activities that firefighters perform,” he said.

Prospective members can visit the main station at 2360 Rochester Road at 7 p.m. on the first, second and fourth Thursdays of each month to observe training, meet the members and learn more about the rewards and challenges of becoming a volunteer firefighter, Sechler said.