Got a Firefighting Certificate? Share it With Ship Bottom Volunteer Fire Company!

Ship Bottom, NJ…If you’re a certified firefighter living or working on or near Long Beach Island, Ship Bottom Volunteer Fire Company officials have a message for you: Join us!

"When volunteers who already have their certification sign up with Ship Bottom, they can jump right in and use their firefighter training right away,” said Ship Bottom Fire Company President and Firefighter Emily Peraria. “We always need firefighters, so this is a huge benefit to our community.”

Peraria stressed that certification is NOT a requirement, and anyone interested in joining should reach out or learn more at shipbottomfirefighters.org. “Many volunteers join without firefighting experience. We provide free training, and they can assist on scene even before they become certified,” she said. “But members who join fully certified can do more on scene much sooner. And they also provide a sort of cross-training between Ship Bottom and other fire companies.”

Joining an additional fire company is good for firefighters, too, say Kevin Hayes and Jesse Violante, two of the eight pre-certified volunteers who have joined Ship Bottom Fire Company since the current recruitment campaign began in 2022.

Building his firefighting skill set

Adding new skills to his firefighting repertoire was part of the draw for Hayes, 25, a fourth-generation firefighter and fire instructor who joined Ship Bottom a year ago. He continues to volunteer at Forked River Volunteer Fire Company, where he has served the community alongside his father since joining as a junior at age 13. Hayes is also a South Brunswick per diem firefighter. Ship Bottom offered a new geographical challenge. “I knew that becoming an island firefighter would teach me more about the fire service than I already knew,” Hayes said.

Responding to a house fire call while streets were flooded with more than three feet of water from an October nor’easter provided him with one such lesson. “Utilizing a submerged hydrant would be far
more difficult,” said Hayes, an Ocean County security guard “Caps may not come off easily, and in deep water, the hydrants may not be visible from the truck. As we were trudging through the water, we talked about drafting straight out of the street if we had to.” Luckily, they did not have to -
the house was not on fire. But with flooding events becoming more common, Hayes said he may have to rely on this knowledge one day even on an inland response.

“A lot of firefighting is just quick thinking and being able to adapt when the way you usually do something won’t work and you need a Plan B,” he said.

The more adrenaline & the more opportunities to help, the better. A stipend is nice, too

Jesse Violante, 38, ran his first call with a Ship Bottom duty crew last December, about 22 years after the firefighter response on September 11, 2001 inspired him to join Parkertown Volunteer Fire
Company, where he continues to volunteer.

“I like the thrill and the dynamic, fluid atmosphere of firefighting,” said Violante, a former machine gunner with the U.S. Army and the National Guard who served in Afghanistan. “You have your training, you know what you’re doing, but it’s going to be different every time. You have to think on your feet and keep your bearings.”

Serving the public as part of a team of highly trained people who trust and rely on each other is an aspect of military service he missed, Violante said. He joined Ship Bottom to get more of the satisfaction and adrenaline rush that firefighting gives him, but the duty-crew stipend he receives through a FEMA grant is also a nice bonus, he said.

More Volunteers Needed

Peraria, Ship Bottom Fire’s President, said while pre-certified fire fighters are the ones who can most quickly respond in Ship Bottom, the fire company enthusiastically welcomes people with no prior firefighting experience. Training and gear are always provided at no cost to members.

“Our greatest need is for volunteers who live or work on LBI or a nearby community year-round,” she said. “Some of our volunteers live here but work elsewhere, while others live somewhere else but are here and able to respond during their work days. We need 24/7 coverage 365 days a year, so either situation works very well.”

Learn more, ask questions, or inquire about joining Ship Bottom Fire

Company at shipbottomfirefighters.org.

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Ship Bottom Volunteer Fire Company is a 100% volunteer fire company that has been saving and protecting lives since 1922. Firefighters respond to about 300 calls annually, from fires to car
accidents to water rescues, serving an area that includes 12 miles of coastline and approximately 7,000 homes and businesses.