The decline in the number of volunteer firefighters and other first responders is well known. Our area and the rest of the Commonwealth struggle with having first responders who are aging out, and there are not enough younger ones to take their place.

What should scare the entire country is that as much as we struggle, Pennsylvania actually has the highest number of volunteer fire companies in the entire nation and also the largest number of volunteer first responders, followed by Missouri, Kansas, and Iowa.

But, fire company volunteers are not getting any younger. For example, the average age of fire police (that person who helps control traffic at emergency sites) is in the mid-60s. If that is the average, it means that half of them are over 65 years of age! New blood is needed to be sure, and the good news in Lycoming County is that we are seeing young men and women stepping up in all areas of emergency activities.

Don’t panic if you call 911 and find a teenager answering that call to your home. If they show up at your door, they deserve to be there. An EMR (Emergency Medical Responder) must be at least 16 years old, complete an EMS (Emergency Medical Service) educational course for EMRs, pass a written exam, and pass a practical skills test. An EMT (Emergency Medical Technician) also must be at least 16 years old, complete an application for EMT certification, and successfully complete an EMS provider education course for EMTs.

Junior firefighter programs vary from company to company in how they allow minors to participate in limited capacities. However, according to state requirements, they must complete a basic firefighting training course involving classwork and active practice.

Of course, these minors are supervised by a fire chief or experienced line officers. They are carefully monitored regarding the tasks they can participate in and what fire apparatus they are allowed or are not allowed to operate.

I am a member of the Clinton Township Volunteer Fire Company, and we have a half-a-dozen or so gung-ho youngsters that envision their future helping in emergency events. Kendrick Wright is one of these young men who has just passed his EMT requirements. He actually finished the requirements before his sixteenth birthday, so he had to wait until he hit that threshold to be officially certified.

Kendrick Wright is an amazing young man. He was adopted at an early age, and by the fourth grade, his new parents felt he would learn better by being homeschooled due to a learning disability that was holding him back. It turned out that their support and encouragement made all the difference. Kendrick learned how to learn, and it changed his life.

As early as he can remember, Kendrick enjoyed helping people. From an early age, he assisted his father in training service dogs for veterans. At twelve, he joined the Civil Air Patrol and thrived on the training he got from them. Several times, he got to use that training in search and rescue searches with the Civil Air Patrol. All this prepared him for the 120 hours of training and very challenging tests that were necessary to obtain his EMT certification.

Kendrick discovered that all the training in the world cannot prepare a person for real emergencies. For example, he assisted on a call in which a sixteen-year-old boy died. Even those who have seen this more than once find it hard to swallow. But Kendrick has learned to keep putting one foot in front of the other. He has a mantra he created for himself: to “stand on commitment in what you believe in and your commitment to yourself.”

For any young people interested in knowing more about what it takes to be a first responder, there are two excellent websites: one for federal requirements and the other for Pennsylvania. The National Volunteer Fire Council (nvfc.org) has a section on a National Junior Firefighter Program that even has a virtual classroom for training. Pennsylvania has programs for juniors that can be found at http://www.pa.gov/agencies/osfc/fire-departments/junior-firefighters.html.

And even better, check out your area’s nearest volunteer fire company and ask about their junior programs. Of course, the numbers go up and down, but there are between 40 and 50 active juniors in the Lycoming County fire companies. And remember — volunteers don’t get paid, not because they’re worthless, but because they’re priceless.