Towamensing Township Volunteer Fire Company named a new fire chief earlier this summer.

Ryan Bowman was chosen to take over the position after Ryan Snyder, the former chief, stepped down in May.

Bowman, who has been with the company for about a year, hopes his combined emergency services and military experiences will assist him in the role.

Born in Palmerton, Bowman received his basic EMT certification at 16. Two years later, he took on the role of assistant chief at a volunteer ambulance company. He started fighting fires in his 20s.

A veteran, Bowman has seven years of service in the National Guard and a deployment to Taji, Iraq, under his belt. He is also the founder and executive director of Pennsylvania Outdoor Veterans, a nonprofit aimed at reducing veteran suicide rates through outdoor rehabilitation.

“Leading this fire department forward, I certainly believe that I have the ability to do that,” Bowman said.

“Are there challenges that come with it?” he continued. “Absolutely.”

At the heart of those challenges, Bowman said, is a stark decline in volunteers.

“We’re at a crisis point,” he said. “If we don’t get volunteers, I’m not sure what the alternative is.”

Bowman is a father of four himself and said he understands how difficult it can be to dedicate time to a fire company.

But he added that while the community is very supportive, the station needs people who are willing to join its ranks by becoming a firefighter, helping with fundraising efforts or taking on other administrative tasks.

“There’s always a position for everyone in a fire department,” Bowman said. “Everyone has their niche.”