Gail Wellington is no stranger to the volunteer fire service. She started volunteering at 16 years old, but stopped after life got too busy. Gail missed being a firefighter though and getting to interact with the community. She works right behind Centre Square’s station and would watch them train on Monday nights.

“I wanted to do what I saw them doing,” said Gail. “I went to the 2021 Fire Expo at Centre Square Fire Company and I was super excited to visit the station. After the Fire Expo, I asked to take a tour of the station and that was when I decided to return to firefighting.”

Gail officially became a member at Centre Square in December 2021 and encourages others who used to volunteer to return to it too.

“It’s still in your blood. You can always become a volunteer again,” she said.

As a volunteer firefighter, Gail learns valuable skills while being a part of a team. She has been practicing with hose lines, using rescue equipment to cut open vehicles and also training in HAZMAT. Two of Gail’s favorite community events to participate in are the Santa Run in December and Fire Expo in October.

“Being a volunteer firefighter is a priceless asset to the community,” said Gail. “You learn so much and you get to work with some great people. There is always something you can do to volunteer with your local fire company.”

Learn more about how you can volunteer at CentreSquareFire.org.