Logan Garibay, 19, was initially intimidated by the fire service and didn’t know if they would welcome someone new. He always saw the “Train with us!” lawn signs around Brookhaven, and after speaking with a member of his church, who is a firefighter in Chester, he decided to go for it.
“People are willing to teach you anything. I can always talk to them and ask questions,” said Logan. “It shows how much they care and the time they are willing to put in to train someone new. Everyone there is super supportive, and that’s the thing that stood out the most at Brookhaven Fire.”
In October, Logan was officially voted in as a member of the fire company. He looks forward to training every Tuesday night and recently enjoyed using cutters and spreaders on a car in the parking lot.
“It was something I’ve never done before,” recalls Logan.
He recently finished an EMT course at Delaware County Community College and is also working part-time at a management company. He plans to start his Firefighter I certification soon and go on more calls.
“I’ve been told that the more time you put into volunteering, the more you’ll get out of the experience,” said Logan.
He recently participated in the fire company’s annual Candy Cane Day, where he handed out candy canes and brought Santa around the borough.
“I had a lot of fun and really enjoyed interacting with people in the community,” he said.
Brookhaven Fire Company provides training and gear to all volunteers. No prior experience required to join. To learn more, visit www.JoinBrookhavenFire.org.