Kyle Lueken has gotten used to the smell of diesel mixed with soot and smoke that lingers on his clothes. As a volunteer firefighter at Center Township Emergency Services, the odor comes with the territory.
"I grew up in a fire station all my life; this was a natural transition," he said.
Even as a Ball State University senior, Lueken said he balances school and volunteering well. His activity in service organizations along with his concern for the environment earned him the Morris K. Udall Scholarship. Lueken is the first Ball State student to receive the scholarship in its 14-year history.
"I have learned how to think critically and work under pressure," he said. "It definitely teaches discipline."
Lueken, 21, is a third generation fire fighter stemming from his hometown fire station in Newburgh, where his father is now captain.
Lueken joined the cadet program at 16 and was allowed to go to the fires but couldn't go inside.
The week of his 18th birthday, he entered his first fire, equipped with an air pack and almost 40 pounds of gear soaked all the way through. Lueken said he is rewarded by knowing he is helping someone.
"It's a thrill, because you get to put into action everything you've been trained to do," he said.
When Lueken first arrived at Ball State, he sought the same thrill and rewarding experience he had at his hometown's fire station but didn't find out about CTES until his sophomore year. Lueken is one of 11 Ball State students or employees who volunteer at the station.
"When I first got here, it drove me nuts not to be able to work at a fire station," he said.
By chance, he drove by the station and saw someone outside mowing the lawn. Lueken was trained with a refresher course and in the particulars of the station, such as tools and procedure.
"There's a whole lot more to fires than just water," he said.
The Center Township Emergency Services is a combination fire department, meaning it is staffed by paid and volunteer workers, Division Chief Rob Hackett, said.
Hackett, a Ball State alumnus, said he began as a volunteer at CTES his sophomore year of college. Hackett said the fire department expects the same work from everyone a the station.
"We like to cultivate an atmosphere that does not separate paid from volunteer staff," he said.
Sundays are staffed completely by volunteers who are required to remain at the station for a scheduled 12 hour shift. Volunteers must also work 32 hours a month at one of the two CTES stations, located on Woods Edge Drive and Mt. Pleasant Boulevard.
Volunteers committed 25,000 staffing hours in 2004, down from 35,000 hours in 2003. The decrease in volunteer hours could be attributed to the increased amount of training and education required since Sept. 11, 2001, according to a 2004 CTES Performance Report.
Hackett said the station benefits greatly from the volunteers and the relationship with Ball State. CTES began working with Cardinal Communications in order to inform the public about the stations. They are working together to hold a recruitment drive and fund-raiser, Kyle Glass, director of media relations, said. Glass said this form of volunteering is what makes the job so admirable.
"After Sept. 11, how could you not love firefighters," he said. "They're the ones going in, while everyone else is coming out."
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