At the sound of a siren, Center Township firefighters rush out the door and head to the emergency scene. The Ball State University students who volunteer at the station put themselves in dangerous situations to help and serve Muncie-area people.
Student volunteer Morgan Ellis said the first fire she was on call for was a house struck by lighting.
"It was scary because at one point I was one of the only firefighters in the house," she said. "But because of my training, I was prepared for it."
Eight Ball State students volunteer at Center Township Station 12 in Muncie, Shawn Blair, a firefighter and trainer at the station, said. The station is staffed with only two paid, full-time employees.
Joshua Henry, a volunteer at the department and Ball State student, said that even after Monday's death of nine firefighters in South Carolina, he doesn't focus on being scared.
"If you're scared, you won't be able to think straight," he said. "You have to overcome the fear to do your job."
Henry said the most important thing is to respect the fire and understand the power it has.
Ellis said one of the most important things about firefighting is finding ways to overcome weaknesses.
"You have to learn to adapt to the things that are hard in the job," she said. "You have to learn to use what you have and compensate for what you don't. I'm not the biggest or strongest, but I can still do the same job as anyone else."
Ellis, who is one of five women firefighters at the station, has been a volunteer firefighter for five years. She and her best friend decided to get involved with the job in high school when a firefighter came to speak at their school.
"It was something that we loved and just stuck with it," she said.
Ellis plans to work as an investigator for fire or police departments with her criminal justice degree. She is working as an intern for the Fort Wayne Fire Department to achieve her eight-to-ten year minimum experience requirements before becoming an investigator.
Henry, a sociology student at Ball State, said he loves helping people, which is a big part of why he enjoys firefighting.
"The fact that you're saving people's lives is a big deal," he said.
Henry plans travel to Third World countries and possibly join the Peace Corps after he graduates, he said.
Volunteers must pass a training class, called "Mandatory Firefighter," which is a two-month program in which volunteers go through a hazardous materials class and Firefighter 1 and 2 class. The classes are the basic minimum requirements of federal regulations.
"The classes include training on forcible entry, using a ladder, rolling a hose, putting on gear, and search and rescue," Blair said.
The training class also includes written tests, Henry said.
"You really have to learn the information and study," he said. "You learn stuff you have to know, like putting together an air tank. There's no room for mistakes during the real thing."
The firefighters experience situations where they might have to deal with death on every run. If death does occur during a run, the firefighters involved participate in Critical Incident Stress Debriefing.
"The meetings get everyone's perspectives and stress out to prevent a firefighter going home and worrying about it alone," Ellis said.
The firefighters don't only have to go through emotional training; they are also tested on their strength and knowledge.
Anyone can volunteer to work for the department, Blair said, but the station is especially looking for people who have a desire to help others.
Volunteer Jeff Ogden, also a criminal justice student at Ball State, said he plans on making a career out of firefighting, following the path of his grandfather and father, who recently retired as chief of the Tipton Fire Department.
"I would encourage people to come out and apply to volunteer," Ogden said. "It really is a rewarding experience."
Read More
Three Air Jam teams take home the win
October 12, 2012Nineteen teams shimmied, shook and flipped for a sold out John R. Emens Auditorium on Thursday night during the 25th annual Air Jam.
Bill Clinton Speaks at North Central High School
October 12, 2012Former President's Speech Could Have Effect on State Senate Race
