“Don’t wait to volunteer. You’re going to regret it someday,” said Bob “Ned” Nedbalski, a volunteer with Brookhaven Fire Company. “If you’re thinking about doing it, just do it.”
Although Ned has lived in Brookhaven since he was five years old, he didn’t join until he was 50 and wished he made the decision sooner. When he was married, Ned was hesitant to join, but he was always interested in hearing stories from his father-in-law who was a firefighter in Chester. Ned had a scanner and when an emergency came in, he went right to the scene to watch.
“It was a running joke with the Chief. He would say, ‘You’re always here. Why don’t you join already?’” said Ned.
After he and his wife divorced, Ned finally joined Brookhaven; however, he was afraid of being claustrophobic wearing the face mask, or the self-contained breathing apparatus (SCBA).
“The Chief told me, ‘I need people for everything. I need someone to hold the ladders, grab tools, and man the hydrants,’” said Ned. “So, I became an exterior firefighter and helped with all of those tasks.”
“Every time, it’s an adrenaline rush,” he added. “It’s always something different on a call. If it’s an accident, it could be an accident with no injuries, with injuries, the car could be turned over—you never know what it will be.”
Ned, who’s been a member for about 16 years now, stopped firefighting around two years ago when he felt it was too much on his body. Ned assists with all the behind-the-scenes office tasks now. He’s on the Board of Governors and is a Chairman of the Ways and Means Committee, which handles all the fundraisers.
“I love to help people and get involved. It’s like another family here,” said Ned.
His favorite day of the year is Candy Cane Day at the fire company. He dresses up as one of the Santas that ride on top of the fire trucks and pass out candy canes to the kids in the community.
When Ned isn’t volunteering, he works as a driver for Choice Marketing and is also a floater, helping out every department.
“That’s my third family,” said Ned. “I love my job and am excited to go in every week.”
Because volunteers work during the day and are off at night or vice versa, not everyone can make it to every call.
“We need bodies. We need people to do everything. If you can’t do something, you can do something else,” said Ned.
Brookhaven Fire Company is seeking volunteers to serve as interior and exterior firefighters, junior firefighters (ages 14-17), and contributing members. Express interest in volunteering by completing an inquiry form.