Ephrata Fire Department named 2025 Volunteer Fire House of the Year
"This award is very rewarding for me, our department, and our members," said Fire Chief Jeremy Burns. "Our fire department relies heavily on volunteers—only two of us are career staff. Without their time, effort and commitment to our community, we wouldn't be much."
This is the first time the department has won the award, according to Burns.
The Ephrata Fire Department boasts a roster of 33 volunteer firefighters, many of whom juggle their service with full-time jobs in various fields, including two members who also serve in the National Guard.
One of these volunteers played a crucial role in a recent mental health crisis intervention, helping safely negotiate an individual down from a grain silo after nearly three hours of communication.
"Their commitment to community protection and service is commendable," Burns said. "These individuals double volunteer their time for the defense of our communities and our nation. They truly are excellent individuals who show remarkable dedication."
The department has actively engaged with the Ephrata community through various events, Burns said, including the Sage and Sun Festival, Touch-a-Truck and Trunk or Treat events. The volunteers also conduct fire prevention programs for local schools, reaching preschool through fourth-grade students.
According to the Washington State Firefighters Association's official statement, "Ephrata Fire Department Volunteers can be found consistently giving back to their community."
In addition to community engagement, the Ephrata Fire Department has shown remarkable growth in training and skill development.
In 2024 alone, the department's volunteers successfully obtained 39 IFSAC certifications in areas including Firefighter 1 and 2, Hazardous Materials Awareness, and Driver Operator.
Furthermore, Ephrata hosted two Fire Academies that included participation from local agencies, resulting in over 2,000 hours of fire and EMS training.
"We have a great camaraderie among our volunteers. Their spirit and enthusiasm for helping our community are key to our success in recruiting and retaining members," Burns said.
Burns said its dedicated volunteers continue to demonstrate that passion and commitment can make a real difference in public safety and community building.
"We have just a great group of people that are there for all the right reasons, and that's to serve their community and continue to build their skill set so they're better prepared for the next response," Burns said.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Washington Post
15 minutes ago
- Washington Post
Ukraine cat memorizes route from bomb shelter to apartment
Everything you need to know about FOIA: How to be a journalist December 14, 2017
CBS News
16 minutes ago
- CBS News
Here's how the U.S. Coast Guard protects Maryland's waterways amid record maritime traffic, hurricane season
With hurricane season underway and maritime traffic near record levels on Maryland's Chesapeake Bay, the U.S. Coast Guard's job is more important than ever. But what exactly do they do? WJZ got a firsthand look at how the Coast Guard crews in Curtis Bay, Baltimore, ensure public safety, maritime infrastructure, and environmental protection throughout our nation's waterways. For nine years, Lieutenant Junior Grade (LTJG) Robert Fleshman has called the Baltimore waterways home. "I get to make sure that our waterways and the marine transportation system and the marine environment in the Chesapeake Bay are protected and secure," Fleshman said. Fleshman is part of the U.S. Coast Guard and works at the Curtis Bay station. His job and mission are what you call the "brains" of their entire operation. "Operations at Coast Guard Sector Maryland, NCR, are so important because they are aimed at keeping the Port of Baltimore and the greater marine transportation system open 27/7, 365 days a year," he explained. "We have direct authority over the stations," Fleshman said. "So, if we get a notification that there is some sort of distress happening in our area of responsibility, we'll issue the urgent Marine Information Broadcast, or the MIB, and launch our assets and then notify all of our government agency and port partner assets that are in the area." The team manages all 11 Coast Guard statutory missions, including emergency response. This means any distress call that happens on the water goes to the Maryland sector. "We disperse the information from there to different departments and divisions that need to know about that information," Fleshman said. If there is an emergency or distress call, the focus shifts to the water, where a small boat crew and people like Seaman (SN) Jackson Cumberworth are waiting to respond. Cumberworth said that when someone is in distress, the group hops on a small boat to assist. The boat can do a little bit of everything, including search and rescue. A minimum of three Coast Guard members are required to operate the vessel. This can include a coxswain (a person to steer the boat), a machinery technician and a seaman. "We have designated routes and waypoints for us to get to where we need to go, the most efficient and safest way for us to be," said Cumberworth. It's a job they can't do without Chief Warrant Officer (CWO) Ed Nygren and the crew aboard the cutter, the USCGC James Rankin. "We are a 175-foot coastal buoy tender," Nygren explained. "We serve the Baltimore region and the northern section of the Chesapeake Bay." The ship's main mission is safety and navigation for everyone on Maryland's waterways. "Our primary mission is to serve aids to navigation within the Port of Baltimore and the northern Chesapeake Bay," Nygren said. " And then, secondarily, we would also conduct ice operations, search and rescue, Marine Environmental Protection and port waterways and coast security missions." The ship is maintained at the Curtis Bay station, just a short boat ride from the site of the Francis Scott Key Bridge. "When the Francis Scott Key Bridge went down a couple of years ago," Nygren said. "James Raskin was on scene, re-establishing those channels, ensuring that commerce was still able to flow in and out of the Port of Baltimore." A crew of 24 works on the Rankin, and their job includes placing and maintaining buoys throughout the Chesapeake Bay all year round. "These buoys are responsible for ensuring that the traffic system that we are marking is safe for a mariner to go through," Nygren said. "It's been called the streetlights marking the highway. This is the road system of the waterway." "But the most important asset we have on the boats are ourselves," Cumberworth said. "We are the most important tools and ways to help people." No matter what, their mission to protect Maryland's waterways never stops. "We don't know if a situation like the Francis Scott Key Bridge might happen, and now, you're working for four to five days straight, even though it's supposed to be your off time, it's never done," Cumberworth said. "Our dedication to the people of this community is evidenced by everything that we do every single day," Nygren said.
Washington Post
17 minutes ago
- Washington Post
Cartoon by Tom Stiglich
By selecting "Start reading," you agree to The Washington Post's Terms of Service and Privacy Policy
