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.”

Fred looks forward to weekly drill nights when his friends are there and has fun working with them as a team.

“Volunteering is a learning experience,” he said. “It’s seeing what’s out there, it’s building responsibilities and helping the community.”

In his own life, Fred says he’s benefited from learning leadership skills, which has helped him teach children in the community about fire prevention.

One of Fred’s proudest moments was watching his daughter, Gabriella, graduate from the Montgomery County Fire Academy with her Firefighter certification.

“She’s following in my shoes and that’s one of the greatest things,” he said. “I couldn’t be more proud as a father.”

Volunteers at Centre Square Fire Company come from all walks of life and have a variety of professions. When Fred isn’t volunteering, he does maintenance work for Wissahickon School District.

To learn more about if joining is right for you, visit CentreSquareFire.org.