Capital Region Firefighter Companies Honor National Armed Forces Day

The yearning and inclination to protect and serve is one that is shared by a few, but is depended upon by all. The individuals, who decide to enlist in the military put other’s own safety and well-being ahead of their own, are some of the same individuals who volunteer for their local fire companies to provide the necessary and urgently needed services.

In honor of May 20, National Armed Forces Day, the Capital Region Councils of Government, (CapCOG), a voluntary collective body which united 21 fire companies within the East Shore, West Shore and Capital Region under the umbrella of the www.CapitalRegionFirefighter.org recruitment campaign, celebrates its heroic volunteers that have put their lives on the line to serve their communities and country.

Those who serve in both emergency and non-emergency positions make fighting fires and providing emergency services possible, and, in turn, they reap the satisfaction of serving people at their greatest times of need and being a piece of something much larger– a fire family that always has each other’s backs. Here are three of their stories:

Bob Kluck, Fire Police Officer

Service is and has always been a focal point of 95-year-old Bob Kluck’s life.

When Kluck was a merchant marine during World War II, he was stationed in the North Atlantic during the Arctic convoys, oceangoing convoys which sailed from the United Kingdom, Iceland and North America to northern ports in the Soviet Union – primarily Arkhangelsk (Archangel) and Murmansk in Russia.

During his deployment, Kluck faced multiple harrowing experiences. Three separate times, Kluck was on a ship that was struck by a torpedo and sunk, and three times, Kluck made it out alive and lived to see another day.

These days, Kluck rarely talks about the experiences he endured as a merchant marine during World War II, but Kluck’s determination to protect and serve still rings true to this day.

Three years ago, Kluck became a member of Hampden Township Volunteer Fire Company as a fire police officer.

“I felt I had to give back to the community,” said Kluck.

This isn’t Kluck’s first stint volunteering with a fire company–back in the early 40s, Kluck was a volunteer firefighter at a fire company in Chambersburg, Pa.

Kluck only responds to emergency calls during the daytime, and as a fire police officer, he is responsible for controlling the flow of traffic to ensure emergency vehicles can have a quick, safe entrance to the incident.

Kluck’s internal desire to serve his community isn’t one that is shared by all, but he encourages others to get involved, because he believes it provides one with a sense of purpose, knowing that they are helping those in need.

“It gives you a good feeling of doing something and helping people,” said Kluck.

Kevin Baird, Firefighter

Kevin Baird became a volunteer firefighter at Union Fire Company two and a half years ago, but his firefighting career began nearly 24 years prior, when he joined the military and became an Air Force firefighter.

“The biggest reason I enlisted was because there weren’t a ton of job opportunities in the small town, called Prunedale, California, that I was from,” said Baird. “It seemed like the best way to get out of that situation, but additionally, I really wanted to be a fireman and I knew that the military would provide the training.”

In Baird’s life, the military was a vehicle, a vehicle that transported him towards countless opportunities and life lessons.

“I learned personal accountability, personal responsibility and a sense of discipline in the military. It also brought a ton of educational opportunities; it opened up a whole bunch of doors,” said Baird.

Baird has been stationed in eight different states, with his last assignment being near Carlisle, Pa.

Baird joined the Union Fire Company shortly after retiring, and his retirement ceremony was actually held in the engine bays at the Union Fire Station. Baird describes that day as one of his fondest, most impactful memories.

“I had an opportunity to volunteer with the department, and it was another way for me to continue serving after retiring,” said Baird. “The teamwork and camaraderie was something that I knew that I was going to be losing by leaving the military, and that was a big part of why I started volunteering at the fire station.”

There is so much to gain as a volunteer firefighter, Baird emphasizes. He believes that anyone can benefit from the camaraderie and teamwork that is developed through working with a fire family to support and protect the community.

More importantly, however, Baird knows how critical it is for volunteer fire departments to fulfill the obligation they have to protect their communities, and without a fully-staffed fire department, there is no way that they can deliver the level of service that is needed.

“There are a lot of folks that are getting too old for the job, and without fresh people coming in, it’s not sustainable. We are so short staffed and we are having such a hard time nationwide getting volunteers to join the fire service. A lot of townships are going to be unable to provide emergency services without the personnel that are willing to do it,” said Baird.

Matthew Shive, Assistant Chief and President

Dauphin native, Matthew Shive, was just 16-years-old when he first got involved with the Dauphin-Middle Paxton Fire Company. After visiting the firehouse with his friend who recently joined the junior firefighter program, Shive was instantly captivated.

“It really interested me. I went to the firehouse and hung around the guys and knew that it was a good fit for me, so I just decided to join at that moment,” Shive said.

The one constant in Shive’s life has been volunteering and giving back to his community, and at age 23, Shive made the decision to continue to serve his community, but on a much larger scale.

Shive enlisted in the Army, where he spent the next five years stationed in Fort Drum, N.Y., as an infantry soldier.

“It kind of stemmed from me being in the firehouse. I like serving my community, so I thought serving my country would be another good thing for me, and I just kind of made the decision to enlist in the military and went from there,” Shive said.

Years later, Shive is still volunteering at the fire company, but under a different title– President and newly-appointed Assistant Chief. The ways in which he presently serves his community very much differs from the methods of his past.

As President of the Dauphin-Middle Paxton Fire Company for the last two years, and as the newly-appointed Fire Chief of less than six months, Shive is in charge of, but not limited to, planning the company training drills, overseeing and managing the volunteers who work below him, assists with grants and other financial aspects of the organization and attends meetings for the community and township.

There is a plentiful supply of wonderful and joyful memories that Shive has accrued working at the fire company over the years, but his favorite part of being at the fire company is the people that he has met throughout the years.

“You just come across all kinds of people and make a lot of different friends; it’s just like a second family,” said Shive.

Shive encourages people to volunteer for their local fire department because, nationwide, there is a severe shortage of volunteer firefighters, and the community depends upon them to provide the necessary emergency services.

“There is never enough help in the community, especially when it is dependent upon volunteers. There’s always a need for help,” said Shive.

Dauphin Middle-Paxton Fire Company, Hampden Township Volunteer Fire Company and Union Fire Company are three of the 21 fire companies included in the Capital Region Firefighter volunteer recruitment campaign.

If you want to serve your community and make a difference, there’s likely a nearby fire company and a position for you based on your interest, skills and availability. All training and gear are provided at no cost. To learn more about how you can volunteer with your local fire company, visit www.CapitalRegionFirefighter.org.