HAVRE DE GRACE, Md. — It may look like an action movie, but images of the men and women of the Susquehanna Hose Company in action are based on real calls to their five firehouses in Havre de Grace.
“The most rewarding thing I’ve ever done is save a human life… give somebody a second chance to come back,” one firefighter says as images of rescues flash by.
Watch the recruiting campaign to fill ranks in Havre de Grace
The highly produced videos feature the vital services these first responders provide whether it’s a fire, a water rescue or responding to an accident 24/7, and historically, many of them come from the community, just like Captain Charlie Jones who joined the company in 1976 almost 50 years ago.
“That’s where we get a lot of our rapid response,” said Jones, “Sometimes we’re on the road in 70 seconds. To have an engine with a four-man crew in a volunteer service, that’s pretty rare, but we do that here on a consistent basis.”
The fear now is that such selfless service is becoming a thing of the past.
The videos are part of an ambitious campaign to infuse some youth into the ranks as longtime volunteers are reaching retirement age after decades of service.
“There’s been a steady decline in all volunteer service for several years now,” Jones told us, ‘It’s nationwide. There’s more volunteer firefighters out there in this country than professional, paid, but that number is dwindling rapidly.”
While the volunteer positions aren’t paid, they do provide perks like tuition reimbursement, tax credits and pensions.
But the real payoff comes in helping people usually as they face some of the most trying moments of their life.
“It makes you feel really good about yourself,” one firefighter says in the video, “Have a big heart and just know you’re there to help people no matter what.”
