Who is your hero?

When I asked my Sunday school kids, they said people and firefighters.

I was impressed because we take for granted that our local firefighters volunteer to go into burning buildings and rescue people.

The point was drilled home on Dec. 7 when we lost Zachary Paris and Marvin Gruber, New Tripoli firefighters in a West Penn Township blaze.

They were volunteers who gave the ultimate sacrifice to help others.

Others are still on the “job,” responding every day to help in the community.

Just because they are volunteers doesn’t mean it’s free to operate and our local fire companies need your help.

Not everyone can volunteer to fight fires, but we can help with fundraising efforts.

Earlier in December the Kunkletown Volunteer Fire Company announced it would be ending its decades long tradition of serving breakfast on the first Sunday of the month.

Fire company president Ray Miller said the decline in volunteers and attendance combined with the high cost of food made it difficult. The company is doing other fundraisers to make up for the breakfasts.

At nearby Polk Township, president Chad Snyder said their breakfast is still successful, but they’ve had to adapt. “We are low on volunteers, both firefighters and in our ladies auxiliary. We have gone away from our traditional made-to-order breakfast and switched to an all-you-can-eat breakfast buffet,” Snyder said.

“For the success to continue both us as an organization and our community have had to shift to the changes in style and price.”

They don’t just need volunteers on the day of the breakfast.

“It takes approximately 30 volunteers, between the day of and the prep two days before, to hold our breakfast,” he said.

And then there was COVID.

“We are seeing a nice size crowd but it’s not as many as pre-COVID,” Snyder said.

Sure they are raising funds, but equipment costs have gone up 50% and fundraising efforts are only bringing in an additional 10% - a significant shortfall.

“I believe our community has a false sense of how much work it truly is to be a member of and to run a volunteer fire company. They all know it takes a lot of work, and they are very supportive, but until you join and become a part of it you don’t see the whole picture,” Snyder said, adding they are thankful for the support of the community and would welcome more volunteers.

Barry Messerschmidt, chief at Hometown Fire Company, said they stopped fundraising breakfasts about eight years ago.

Breakfast prep took about three days and “maybe on a good Sunday we’d make $500,” he said. And that doesn’t include the cost of electricity, the paper products and other supplies.

“People don’t go out to eat as much anymore,” Messerschmidt said.

They do have a successful chicken barbecue which brings in about $1,200. It has become a drive-through event.

Most of their fundraising is done through an annual fund drive, but they host events to keep the camaraderie for the firefighters and the connection with the community.

Hometown plans a lot of events for children in the community, such as painting classes, fire prevention sessions, free cupcakes and hot dogs, Santa visiting houses on an antique sled.

They are grateful for every donation. They are used to help buy gloves, masks and other equipment. Messerschmidt said the state requirements for firefighting training have hampered efforts to get volunteers. More than 100 hours of training are required.

He started as a junior firefighter at age 13, following in his dad’s footsteps. But things are different now.

“A 15-year-old kid doesn’t want to sit in class to be a volunteer,” he said.

At a “young 64,” Messerschmidt said he has good line officers who offer support. “I will do it as long as I can,” he said, noting that it isn’t as easy to spring out of bed in the middle of the night.

They don’t just fight fires in this rural community. They remove trees in the road, assist with drug overdoses, and help ambulance personnel with lift assists for patients.

“The siren is constantly blowing,” he said.