Boots on the Ground

Get to know your fellow NVFC members! HARRY EVANS - MESILLA (NM) FIRE DEPARTMENT It's no surprise that Harry Evans, who serves as deputy fire chief for the Mesilla (NM) Fire Department, became a volunteer firefighter. After growing up watching his father volunteer, Harry promised himself that as soon as he finished serving in the military and settled down, he would volunteer in his community as well. And despite the disappointment that resulted when he discovered he wouldn't be allowed to ride the tailboard like his dad did, he stuck with it. Twenty-six years later, Harry is volunteering in a department with a colorful history. What makes your ...

Get to know your fellow NVFC members! PETER SHEDD - BERNARDSTON FIRE DEPARTMENT, MA Years ago, Peter Shedd worked for the highway department and responded to emergency calls during working hours. Seeing volunteer firefighters respond to emergencies and hearing family members who volunteered talk about their experiences convinced Peter that he should volunteer for the local fire department, as well. Forty-five years, eight grandchildren, and two great grandchildren later, Peter continues to volunteer at the Bernardston Fire Department in MA. He has served as chief since 1995.  Not long after becoming chief, Peter began exploring ...

Get to know your fellow NVFC members! MELINDA NEFF - MERCER RURAL FIRE PROTECTION DISTRICT, ND   Melinda Neff has served as assistant fire chief for the Mercer Rural Fire Protection District in ND for almost a year now. She previously volunteered for a department in OR and when she moved to ND, she was asked to volunteer again! Her husband also volunteers and Charlie, her service-dog-in-training, serves as the department mascot, so as Melinda says, it's a family affair. What came as the biggest surprise to you after you began volunteering? Being accepted and respected was a pleasant surprise, not because I am a female, but because ...

Get to know your fellow NVFC members! ryan daughton - east Franklin FIRE DEPARTMENT, NJ " Be the best you can be daily, and try to be better than you were the day before." That's one of several mantras that motivates Ryan Daughton, assistant fire chief at East Franklin Fire Department in central New Jersey. He has been volunteering for 20 years, but volunteering alone doesn't keep him active enough. Daughton spends his spare time working out, participating in Spartan and Tough Mudder races, and doing "basically anything athletic and adventurous to help charities out." How did you get involved in the fire service? My friend in high ...

Get to know your fellow NVFC members! TOM MERRILL - SNYDER FIRE DEPARTMENT, NY Tom Merrill serves as fire commissioner for the Snyder Fire District in upstate New York. You might recognize him from some of the trainings he has conducted for the NVFC, including a webinar on Professional Development for the Fire Officer .  How did you get involved in the fire service? When I was 19 years old and going to a local college, I worked at a supermarket. One day one of my co-workers who was the same age as me simply asked if I wanted to join the local volunteer fire department. He had joined at 16, and his father used to ...

Get to know your fellow NVFC members! JULES SCADDEN - DYSART AMBULANCE SERVICE, IA Jules Scadden is vice chair of the NVFC EMS/Rescue Section and the director of a rural ambulance company in Iowa. You might have attended her webinar on Volunteer EMS Recruitment, which is available in NVFC's Virtual Classroom. She spent several years volunteering for a local fire department prior to joining Dysart Ambulance Service. What came as the biggest surprise when you became a paramedic? The biggest surprise was how great I could feel when helping someone even a little bit and how bad I felt when I couldn't help.   Television ...

Get to know your fellow NVFC members! JOHN BORST III - SCHOHARIE (NY) FIRE DEPARTMENT John Borst III is the assistant fire chief for the Schoharie (NY) Fire Department. When friends in high school became active in the department, they convinced John to join. John's father previously served as chief for the department, so volunteering runs in the family. What came as the biggest surprise to you after you started volunteering? How many other volunteer firefighters (current or past) there are around the area, and how much we all have in common when we start talking about our own departments. How ...

Get to know your fellow NVFC members! MELANIE COLVIN - LEXINGTON (OK) FIRE DEPARTMENT Melanie Colvin serves as captain and training officer for the Lexington (OK) Fire Department. She also volunteers as Secretary/Treasurer for the Fire Service Instructors of Oklahoma and the training coordinator for the Cedar County Fire Protection District. In addition, Melanie serves on several committees for the Oklahoma State Firefighter's Association. She is the vice chair for the Benevolence Committee and the Safety and Health Committee and is a member of the Volunteer Fire Service Committee. Melanie, how did you get involved ...