In 1978, Paul Harvey gave a speech entitled “So God Made a Farmer.” It is arguably one of Harvey’s best-known talks. In that spirit, I would like to borrow from Harvey’s metaphor to highlight some unappreciated community servants — our local volunteer firefighters. Like farmers, the volunteer firefighter is a dwindling breed. So, with apologies to Paul Harvey…

And on the 8th day, God looked down on his planned paradise and said, “I need someone who would want to help their neighbors and others in their area when emergencies come and not because they are getting paid to do it — but simply because they care about their community and those who live in it.” So, God made a volunteer firefighter.

God said, “I need someone who would be willing to get up in the middle of the night or in the middle of a nice meal with their spouse and family or even while visiting with friends when they receive an alarm to help their neighbor who has a fire at home, or is injured in a wrecked car, or is simply at home and immediately needs to get to a local hospital emergency room.” So, God made a volunteer firefighter.

God said, “I need someone who is willing to volunteer to train for hundreds of hours to obtain the skills and certifications that are vital and are required by the authorities that govern and accept that even though some of those training hours may seem like a waste of time, they are still required, and must be completed. And then, on top of that, be willing to volunteer hours and hours more to help raise funds so that their emergency vehicles can stay in service.” So, God made a volunteer firefighter.

God said, “I need someone who is willing to come out all through the year, in scorching heat in the summer and bitter cold in the winter, to help redirect traffic in an accident, or block off vehicles during a local parade, and put up with hostile drivers who curse at them and complain that they are being inconvenienced, and who will be able to ignore the slings and arrows of these inconsiderate and ungrateful words and respond professionally back to these drivers in a patient voice.” So, God made a volunteer firefighter.

God said, “I need someone who is willing to work in a team, taking directions for those that they may not particularly like, but know that this leader has the skills and experience that they do not, and follow those directions like their lives depended on it, for indeed, their lives will depend on it, and the lives of their fellow team members as well.” So, God made a volunteer firefighter.

God said, “I need someone who is willing to do the cleanup after the emergency is over, to prepare the vehicles for the next time out, to ensure that all the equipment is secured and operating correctly and that supplies that were used are replaced, even though they are tired and often exhausted after the emergency run, but understands that this is also part of the commitment to the job.” So, God made a volunteer firefighter.

God said, “I need someone who is father or mother or brother or sister of a youngster that observes and takes note of their parent or sibling serving from their heart, willing to do all those things mentioned above, willing to save others because no one else will, even though they often will get no recognition or acknowledgment of their dedication, and something will begin to grow in that child, something called ‘respect,’ and they dream that someday they too would be able and willing to do that very same thing.” So, God is making a future volunteer firefighter.

To the members of the 27 Lycoming County Volunteer Fire Companies — #2, #3, #5, #6, #7, #8, #12, #13, #14, #15, #16, #17, #18, #20, #21, #22, #23, #24, #25, #26, #27, #28, #31, #32 #35, #36, #39, #45 — you know who you are — Thank you all!