Volunteer firefighter Mark Thompson encourages new volunteers to work hard and train hard in order to learn as much as possible. “Every day you will learn something new, so try to absorb as much as you can,” said Mark, who started volunteering four years ago at the age of 18. After hearing from a current member that Centre Square Fire …
Fred Saylor started bringing his daughter, Gabriella “Gabbie” Saylor, to Centre Square Fire Company since she was two years old. “I loved when my father took me to the firehouse; it was one of my favorite places growing up,” said Gabbie. As soon as she was 16, Gabbie joined Centre Square’s junior firefighting program and has been volunteering for seven …
Volunteer firefighter Antoinette Dowds encourages other women to join Centre Square Fire Company. “Firefighting should be an inspiration for all women, younger or older, everywhere, to demonstrate the value of strength and courage,” said Antoinette, a certified nurse practitioner and a certified EMT. “I serve as a servant leader in my current profession and wanted to give back to the …
Sharon Whittock Brunner, and her three children: Jessica, 29, Tyler, 27, and Zayne, 23, all joined Centre Square Fire Company as soon as they could at 16-years-old. Firefighting is not only in the Brunners’ blood, but the family has a deep history in Centre Square Fire Company. Sharon’s great-grandfather, F. Clifford Bernhard, was one of 35 founding members of the …
As a newer volunteer at Centre Square Fire Company, Tyler Steffy appreciates how diverse the volunteers are in their backgrounds, careers and areas of expertise. “Some members have been there a very long time, and it’s interesting learning about the history of the department. Additionally, it’s inspiring to see the youthful exuberance of the junior firefighters who bring such a …
Kareem Lee has always enjoyed helping others and says that the volunteer fire service is the best place to be. He first learned about Centre Square Fire Company from his friend Ted Fonash, who was serving as Captain at the time and now as Chief, and encouraged Kareem to stop by the station on a Monday drill night. That was …
Tom Strosser’s favorite part about volunteering at Centre Square Fire Company is spending time and working with the crew. “They give it everything they got and always do whatever it takes to make Centre Square the best it can be,” he said. Tom joined Centre Square in 2013 and serves as a volunteer firefighter. He worked across the street at …
As female firefighters in a male-dominated field, Antoinette Dowds and Joelle Lesniak believe anyone can be a firefighter. Lesniak, one of the three full-time career firefighters at Centre Square Fire Company, was the first female volunteer firefighter at Oreland Fire Company at age 16. “I broke the system,” said Lesniak. “A lot of fire companies used to have bylaws that …
Inspired by his family and friends who were volunteer firefighters, Fred Saylor joined Centre Square Fire Company 35 years ago. In that time, he has served in a variety of roles including firefighter, fire police Sergeant and trustee. “Joining is the best thing I have ever done,” he said. “I enjoy helping people, learning new things and making new friends.” …
After decades of giving back to the community in the volunteer fire service, Jerry Wagner has had a lot of memorable fire calls. A more recent call that sticks out to him though was a house fire in 2020, where he had to prevent the homeowner from reentering the home. “I stayed with him to support him until his family …
