
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
Yahoo
11 minutes ago
- Yahoo
West Virginia Lottery results: See winning numbers for Mega Millions, Daily 3 on July 25, 2025
Are you looking to win big? The West Virginia Lottery offers a variety of games if you think it's your lucky day. Lottery players in West Virginia can choose from popular national games like the Powerball and Mega Millions, which are available in the vast majority of states. Other games include Lotto America, Daily 3, Daily 4 and Cash 25. Big lottery wins around the U.S. include a lucky lottery ticketholder in California who won a $1.27 billion Mega Millions jackpot in December 2024. See more big winners here. And if you do end up cashing a jackpot, here's what experts say to do first. Here's a look at Friday, July 25, 2025 results for each game: Winning Mega Millions numbers from July 25 drawing 14-21-25-49-52, Mega Ball: 07 Check Mega Millions payouts and previous drawings here. Winning Daily 3 numbers from July 25 drawing 3-0-2 Check Daily 3 payouts and previous drawings here. Winning Daily 4 numbers from July 25 drawing 6-0-9-9 Check Daily 4 payouts and previous drawings here. Winning Cash 25 numbers from July 25 drawing 08-09-18-19-21-25 Check Cash 25 payouts and previous drawings here. Feeling lucky? Explore the latest lottery news & results When are the West Virginia Lottery drawings held? Powerball: 11 p.m. ET on Monday, Wednesday and Saturday. Mega Millions: 10:59 p.m. ET Tuesday and Friday. Lotto America: 10:15 p.m. ET on Monday, Wednesday and Saturday. Daily 3, 4: 6:59 p.m. ET Monday through Saturday. Cash 25: 6:59 p.m. ET Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday. Winning lottery numbers are sponsored by Jackpocket, the official digital lottery courier of the USA TODAY Network. Where can you buy lottery tickets? Tickets can be purchased in person at gas stations, convenience stores and grocery stores. Some airport terminals may also sell lottery tickets. You can also order tickets online through Jackpocket, the official digital lottery courier of the USA TODAY Network, in these U.S. states and territories: Arizona, Arkansas, Colorado, Idaho, Maine, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Montana, Nebraska, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Oregon, Puerto Rico, Washington D.C., and West Virginia. The Jackpocket app allows you to pick your lottery game and numbers, place your order, see your ticket and collect your winnings all using your phone or home computer. Jackpocket is the official digital lottery courier of the USA TODAY Network. Gannett may earn revenue for audience referrals to Jackpocket services. GAMBLING PROBLEM? CALL 1-800-GAMBLER, Call 877-8-HOPENY/text HOPENY (467369) (NY). 18+ (19+ in NE, 21+ in AZ). Physically present where Jackpocket operates. Jackpocket is not affiliated with any State Lottery. Eligibility Restrictions apply. Void where prohibited. Terms: This results page was generated automatically using information from TinBu and a template written and reviewed by a USA Today editor. You can send feedback using this form. This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: West Virginia Lottery results, winning numbers: Mega Millions, Daily 3, more


CBS News
13 minutes ago
- CBS News
Lodi Fire Foundation turns to community to support local fire stations
The Lodi Fire Foundation has launched a new campaign, seeking community support to help fund local fire stations. "If you have a safe and healthy fire department, then you have a safe and healthy community," Lodi Fire Foundation President Chris Meehleis said. To do it, they say, every extra piece of equipment counts. The new campaign is called Sponsor Your Local Fire Station. "We have four," Meehleis explained." You can pick one, the one that you live near, or you can just do it for Lodi in general." This year's city budget provides roughly $19 million to the fire department that supports 47 total firefighters, with 15 on call every day. To keep that up, they need all the help they can get. "It's just another fundraising opportunity," Lodi Fire Foundation Treasurer Hobie Day shared. "We have two big ones that we mostly focus on, the golf tournament in May, and then the Christmas festival in December. So we're just always looking for additional sources of fundraising that we can contribute to the fire department and ultimately, the community of Lodi." Anyone can donate any amount of money to the foundation, ranging from a dollar to $10. All of it goes back into the departments right in your neighborhood. "It allows us to help raise funds to meet the unfunded needs," Lodi Fire Foundation Vice Chair Kirk Sasaki said. "We can help keep our firefighters safe or get them equipment that can help them help keep our community safe as well." The equipment the foundation has already given to the department is not only essential for the firefighters, but the community as a whole. "We're now on this campaign for the cardiac monitors," Meehleis continued. "The city bought one, then the foundation bought another one, and it attaches to the patient and tells all the vitals. It sends that information to the hospital ahead, before they get there, so the emergency rooms can know who, what and all the vitals that are coming in." Other equipment includes extractors, which help wash toxins out of fire gear, tactical vests to protect crews from bullets, and equipment for their water rescue boat. All equipment to protect them so they can protect us. "Lodi is unique. It's livable, lovable Lodi, right? So that's why everybody here supports Lodi, and it's a great community. You can't beat it. Everybody pitches in, donates, and not just to us. It's a very giving community," Meehleis said. The Lodi Fire Foundation says they typically raise $50,000 to $60,000 every year.
Yahoo
41 minutes ago
- Yahoo
NY Lottery Win 4, Take 5, Numbers winning numbers for Friday, July 25
The New York Lottery offers multiple draw games for people looking to strike it rich. The games include New York Lotto, Cash4Life, Numbers, Win 4, Take 5, and Pick 10. Cash4Life is a multi-state lottery game available in 10 states. The top prize is $1,000 a day for life or a one-time lump sum of $7,000,000. The winning numbers are drawn at 9 p.m. EST daily and we have the results below. New York Win 4, Take 5, and Numbers are drawn twice a day at 2:30 p.m. and 10:30 p.m. New York Lotto is drawn on Wednesday and Saturday. New York Win 4 Midday: 1-0-3-7 Evening: 1-0-0-1 Check New York Win 4 payouts and previous drawings here. New York Take 5 Midday: 17-23-25-28-38 Check New York Take 5 payouts and previous drawings here. New York Numbers Midday: 2-8-6 Evening: 8-8-2 Check New York Numbers payouts and previous drawings here. Cash4Life 05-15-36-40-60, Cash Ball: 03 Check Cash4Life payouts and previous drawings here. Pick 10 01-04-05-10-19-20-31-36-37-44-56-60-62-65-66-70-74-76-77-78 Check Pick 10 payouts and previous drawings here. Feeling lucky? Explore the latest lottery news & results When is the next Cash4Life drawing? Cash4Life is drawn daily. How late can you buy a Cash4Life ticket in New York? In New York, in-store and online ticket sales are available until 8:45 p.m. daily. Cash4Life costs $2 to play. Cash4Life is available in these 10 U.S. states: New York New Jersey Florida Georgia Indiana Maryland Missouri Pennsylvania Tennessee Virginia What are the Cash4Life prizes? Match Win Odds 5 numbers + Cash Ball $1,000/day for life 1 in 21,846,048 5 numbers $1,000/week for life 1 in 7,282,016 4 numbers + Cash Ball $2,500 1 in 79,440 4 numbers $500 1 in 26,480 3 numbers + Cash Ball $100 1 in 1,471 3 numbers $25 1 in 490 2 numbers + Cash Ball $10 1 in 83 2 numbers $4 1 in 28 1 number + Cash Ball $2 1 in 13 What are the odds of winning Cash4Life? The odds of winning a prize in Cash4Life is 1 in 7.76. Winning lottery numbers are sponsored by Jackpocket, the official digital lottery courier of the USA TODAY Network. Where can you buy lottery tickets? Tickets can be purchased in person at gas stations, convenience stores and grocery stores. Some airport terminals may also sell lottery tickets. You can also order tickets online through Jackpocket, the official digital lottery courier of the USA TODAY Network, in these U.S. states and territories: Arizona, Arkansas, Colorado, Idaho, Maine, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Montana, Nebraska, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Oregon, Puerto Rico, Washington D.C., and West Virginia. The Jackpocket app allows you to pick your lottery game and numbers, place your order, see your ticket and collect your winnings all using your phone or home computer. Jackpocket is the official digital lottery courier of the USA TODAY Network. Gannett may earn revenue for audience referrals to Jackpocket services. GAMBLING PROBLEM? CALL 1-800-GAMBLER, Call 877-8-HOPENY/text HOPENY (467369) (NY). 18+ (19+ in NE, 21+ in AZ). Physically present where Jackpocket operates. Jackpocket is not affiliated with any State Lottery. Eligibility Restrictions apply. Void where prohibited. Terms: This results page was generated automatically using information from TinBu and a template written and reviewed by a NY Audience Editor. You can send feedback using this form. This article originally appeared on Rockland/Westchester Journal News: NY Lottery Win 4, Take 5, Numbers winning numbers for Friday, July 25 Solve the daily Crossword