Volunteer firefighters are an invaluable group in every community and include friends, family members and neighbors.

They risk their lives when an emergency strikes, running into a burning building when everyone else is running out.They give the time that could be spent with their families training for emergencies.But volunteer firefighters are also an aging group, made up of men and women who have been dedicated to fighting for their communities for decades, seasoned in the craft because they have done it for so long.So junior firefighters and volunteers who choose to learn from the veteran firefighters and help maintain a fire station are also a special group that needs to be recognized.On Saturday at the beginning of the annual Carbon County Community Safety Day, state Sen. John Yudichak, Carbon Lodge 242 of Free and Accepted Masons, Kid Zone Blue Mountain Health System, the Nolan Ritchie Stay Afloat Foundation, the Carbon County Commissioners and state Rep. Doyle Heffley, honored two dozen of these young volunteers who will one day become the next generation to protect the communities from fires."It's not easy these days to generate volunteers for volunteer fire companies," Yudichak said. "These are important institutions in our county. When the horn blows, the volunteers come to the aid of their neighbors so the most important investment is the volunteers themselves."At a time when the number of volunteers is dropping, it is a pleasure to honor these young men and women who see the need and are giving their time to help local fire companies in a variety of ways," Yudichak said.Commissioners' Chairman Wayne Nothstein, who is also a volunteer firefighter in Lehighton,said the junior volunteers spend a lot of time helping around the fire stations, whether it be cleaning the trucks and equipment, participating in fundraisers or maintaining the station."These men and women are our future firefighters who will one day be protecting us," he said.Yudichak and Heffley then presented citations to the two dozen junior volunteers who were nominated for the recognition.Those honored included: Tanner Eckman and Zak Klotz of Lehighton Fire Department; Zachary Gilbert, Zachary Kindt, Josh Binder and Sebastian Reynolds of American Fire Company, Lansford; Jacob Newton of Fairview Hose Company, Jim Thorpe; Nick Shorten of Jim Thorpe Fire Company; Eric Reichard, Jennifer Plocinik and Kenny Dotter of Mahoning Valley Volunteer Fire Company; Braden Markovchick of Citizens Fire Company, Weatherly; Nate Starrett and Cory Phillips of Aquashicola-Lower Towamensing Township Fire Company; Joshua Nelson and Alex Hinkle of Franklin Township Fire Company; Daniel Patterson of Albrightsville Fire Company; Garth Sterling, Justin Ogozalek and Derek Binder of Diligence Fire Company, Summit Hill; Gerald Klotz of Nesquehoning Hose Company; Richard Kott Jr. and Matthew Cervasio of Tresckow/McAdoo Fire Company; and Theresa Matirko of Lehigh and Lausanne Fire Company, Weatherly.