New Upper Moreland Fire Volunteers Find Challenges, Community and an Excititing Way to Make a Differencefake

Upper Moreland Township, PA...Nashea “Nash” Fable wanted to give back to the community that shaped her. Laura Norris needed a mid-life challenge. Alfredo Oliveira finally had time to fulfill a pledge to learn the skills that saved his life and his son’s.

They are among the dozen new Upper Moreland Fire Department firefighters who joined in response to the department’s ongoing call for volunteers, and they are already making a difference, said Fire Chief Edward Glassman. “They give us depth,” he said. “During the severe storm in June, we handled 28 incidents in an hour and a half, and our new volunteers enabled us to staff a second fire station. They’re doing an awesome job, and I’m looking forward to their continued growth.”

Upper Moreland needs more firefighters and Glassman encourages anyone interested in volunteering to visit uppermorelandfire.org to get started. Training and gear are free, and overnight stipends are available.

Oliveira and Norris were among those responding to the June storm calls.

“The adrenaline kicked in whenever the siren went off and we were rushing to make sure people were ok,” Oliveira said. “It was great to be helpful, to be able to make a difference.”

At one home, a tree had fallen through the roof, water was pouring in, and the understandably upset woman who lived there was very worried about getting the things she needed for her job. “You tell
me what you need,” Norris told her. Using her headlamp, she searched through the damp darkness and delivered dress clothes and other items. “She gave me a big hug, and it felt so good to be
there for her.”

A New Challenge Brings Confidence

After Norris, 40, her husband, Ian, and their two young daughters moved from Philadelphia to Upper Moreland, she wanted a way to become part of her new community. A sign announcing the need for volunteers inspired her.

Norris knew it would be challenging - her husband is a Philadelphia firefighter. The excellent free training, her determination to succeed, and the support from other firefighters have fueled her
success. “They want you to learn,” said Norris, a substitute teacher. On the way to her first vehicle fire, an experienced firefighter laid out the plan: He would stretch out the hose line. She would take the nozzle. “He was behind me the whole time, asking ‘Are you good?’ and offering advice,” she said. Soon the fire was out, and Norris felt triumphant.

The Rewards of Paying it Forward

Oliveira, 42, pledged to become a first responder when he was a teenager growing up in Brazil. “I had a car accident, firefighters had to rescue me, and they saved my life,” he said. His resolve grew when
his son received an electric shock and EMTs helped him.

When the youngest of his three kids was 12 and the cleaning company he founded with his wife, Cristiana, was running smoothly, Oliveira decided there would be no better time to fit firefighting into a busy life.

Like Norris, Oliveira loves learning just how much he’s capable of. The brotherhood and sisterhood of the firehouse was an unexpected, wonderful bonus, he said. “I was always working and never really
got to know many people in the community. Now, I have a lot of good friends at the fire station, and I love to be there.”

Prospective volunteers should know firefighting can fit into a full schedule. “I can always respond or help at the station, but volunteering is flexible, and when I can’t, it’s ok,” he said.

The Best Way to Serve the Community “That Helped Raise Me”

Fable, 28, has lived in the township since she was three and says, along with her family, her schooling and upbringing here have shaped her. After finishing a masters in communications from Temple University and establishing herself in her insurance industry career, “I asked myself, ‘What could I give back to my community that helped raise me?’ When she learned that the fire company needed volunteers, she knew this was the way.

Fable is finishing the training she needs to respond to calls. She has loved learning how to pry open doors, operate a saw, and ignore the human instinct to flee a burning building. It was more than 500
degrees inside the live burn training session, she said, and while she knew her gear would keep her safe, “I had to ask myself, ‘Do I run out of this building, or do I put out this fire?” she remembered. “We worked together as a team to put it out. I was second on the hose, and it was awesome.”

She also values her firehouse friendships. “It feels like a big family,” she said. “The doors are always open, and we train together, work out together, we watch shows together.” Thanks to Fable’s organizational skills and love of cooking, they’ve also been enjoying Sunday dinners together.

“Everyone works really hard, and this is something I could do for them,” she
said.

Volunteers Needed!

Upper Moreland Fire Department needs more volunteers. Training and gear are
free. Sign up or learn more at uppermorelandfire.org