For John “JJ” Bonsall and Steve Schultz, two volunteer firefighters at Brookhaven Fire Company, emergency services is a passion that lead them to their careers.
Volunteer to Career Firefighting
John “JJ” Bonsall couldn’t see doing anything other than firefighting.
“I love serving my community and the rush I get going into a burning building,” he said. “I’ve run with other fire companies, but I always find my way back home to Brookhaven. It really is a family.”
Bonsall has been a volunteer firefighter since he was a teenager, and works as a firefighter lieutenant and EMT for the Philadelphia Fire Department.
“Volunteering at Brookhaven gave me a leg up in my career. I started fire school at 14, became an EMT at 16 and continued my education with classes since then,” said Bonsall, 41.
When he graduated from high school in 2001, he was a 911 dispatcher for Delaware County. He also attended Delaware County Community College and did HVAC work for a short stint, but his passion was always with firefighting. He put a lot of studying and time into it, and ranked 108 out of more than 11,000 applicants for the Philadelphia Fire Department, where he’s worked for the past 12 years.
“I had a solid baseline knowledge of firefighting because of Brookhaven,” said Bonsall. “I am where I am today because of the experiences and training I got there. Brookhaven is always willing to send you to any training you want to go to.”
When Bonsall received his promotion to lieutenant with the City of Philadelphia, some of the first people he told and thanked were Chief Rob Montella and other volunteers at Brookhaven.
For anyone seeking a career in emergency services, he encourages them to start at Brookhaven or their local fire company.
“The atmosphere, the dynamics and the culture are unlike anywhere else, having people you know you can count on day and day out,” said Bonsall, who grew up around the fire service. He credits his mom and dad for sparking his interest in firefighting.
“They were both volunteers in Delaware County and always encouraged me to follow my passion. Firefighting is in my blood,” he said.
Bonsall also thanks his wife, Maille, for always being supportive of him. They have four kids together and two are showing interesting in volunteering. Their 15-year-old daughter, Michela, is putting in her application to become a contributing member to help with community events and fundraising. Their son, Shane, is very interested as well and will be able to join next year as a junior firefighter when he turns 14.
“I’m really looking forward to that bonding experience like I had with my parents,” said Bonsall.
Opening the Door to Various Emergency Services Careers
Volunteers at Brookhaven Fire Company can pursue many career types from the training they receive, not just firefighting. Steve Schultz, volunteer firefighter at Brookhaven, works as an emergency management specialist for Delaware County, the emergency management coordinator for Brookhaven Borough and is also a hazmat specialist on the Delaware County hazmat team.
“My entire career started with the volunteer fire service,” said Schultz, 33.
When he was in high school, his friend told him that their local fire company needed help and accepted volunteers at 16. Then his neighbor’s house across the street burned down and Schultz knew he wanted to be able to help others as a firefighter.
He joined Lima Fire Company and, on a fire call that Brookhaven Fire Company also responded to, he met his future wife, Erin. After talking and hanging out with her more, Schultz also joined Brookhaven.
Through taking classes at the fire academy, Schultz talked with one of his instructors about career paths, and he decided to pursue an associate’s and bachelor’s degree in emergency management. Currently, he is working on earning his master’s degree in emergency management and disaster planning at Thomas Jefferson University.
As an emergency management coordinator for Brookhaven Borough, Schultz plans for the one percent chance of a catastrophic event happening. One example of this was the 2015 wind storm that left damaged homes and many without electricity. In Brookhaven, they opened the municipal complex to help more than 50 residents without power. Similarly at the county level, Schultz is on a team and works with the other 49 municipalities to help them plan for their one percent of disasters.
“As my career’s gotten bigger, I am able to serve as a leader and mentor for the younger volunteers,” he said. “Brookhaven does leadership like nobody else.”
Schultz said volunteering builds a great network. He’s done work with the Red Cross, hazmat companies, answering phones, and now has connections across state lines and even in other countries, regularly speaking to firefighters in Japan, Germany and Italy. The sheer diversity of careers to get involved with is limitless as well.
Photo by Tappan Firephotos, Sherry Tappan
“By joining the volunteer fire service, you can set yourself up for a really good career and help your community at the same time,” he said. “In a time that’s hard to find a job, someone will connect you with opportunities when you ask for help.”
Even though Schultz started when he was a teenager, he encourages the community to start volunteering in their 30s and 40s too.
“There’s something in it for everyone and you’ll get ten times more than what you put in,” he said.
For Schultz and his family, emergency services is a way of life.
“It never shuts off in our house; the scanner is always on,” he said.
His wife, Erin, is a lieutenant at Brookhaven Fire Company and works as a fire safety official for Brookhaven Borough. His son, Steven, is three years old, and Schultz has an inkling he may follow in their footsteps.
“I bring my son to the firehouse on a regular basis, and it’s like he has 37 uncles and aunts,” said Schultz, who adds that there is a family dynamic on and off the fireground among volunteers.
No prior experience is required to join the second family of Brookhaven Fire Company, which is seeking firefighters, exterior firefighters and contributing members. To express interest in volunteering, fill out an inquiry form at www.JoinBrookhavenFire.org.