The Orange County Volunteer Firefighter’s Association is in the midst of its annual convention after skipping last year due to COVID. The festivities climax Saturday afternoon with a parade in the Village of Montgomery.

The parade gives friends, family and appreciative citizens the opportunity to show appreciation for the sharp-dressed firefighters and their auxiliaries as they march by in their dress uniforms accompanied by local musicians and shiny-clean apparatus.

There is, of course, more to being a firefighter than marching and the revelry that accompanies these events. It’s actually dangerous work, made more challenging by a critical shortage of capable volunteers. When someone calls 911 to report an emergency, non-police related, the fire company is notified. These calls run from Public Service Calls (flooded basement, felled tree and - yes - to rescue a trapped pet) to matters of life and death. But the ranks are often so depleted that many times a response can be delayed while the county coordinators search for neighboring fire companies to respond. These dangerous delays can literally cost lives.

Your local fire company needs volunteers. Visit their website and download an application, or visit the firehouse and talk to the volunteers to see if you are cut out to make a difference.

Local fire companies include:

Good Will Fire Department (gwfd.com/volunteer).
Cronomer Valley Fire Department (cvfd-fire.org/join).
Middle Hope Fire company (middlehopefirecompany.org) - or visit them every Friday evening at Mary Jane’s Dairy Bar.
Dan Leghorn and Winona Lake Fire Companies (orangelakefd.com).
New Windsor Fire Department (newwindsorfd.com).
Vails Gate FD (.vailsgatefd.com)

Find out how you can build some solid bonds, make some lifelong friendships and save a few lives in the process.