Profiles in Volunteerism: Firefighter Jon Lau

Name: Jon Lau

Age: 41

Lives: Hellertown

Family: Wife, 5 children

Job: HVAC, Dewey Fire Company Lieutenant and Engineer

Fire company: , Hellertown

Training so far: Firefighter 1, Hazmat, Vehicle Rescue Technician, Pumps, First Aid, CPR, Ropes, Incident Command

What's it like being a firefighter?

“It’s fun. You experience a lot of different things and make a lot of friends. I just enjoy going out in the community, you know, helping everybody out and going to other counties to help out. I just enjoy doing it.”

How do your loved ones feel about you putting your life in danger?

“Well, the kids know as soon as the pager goes off, they have to move out of the way. ‘There goes Dad!’ My wife likes it. She hears the siren go off during the day and she knows something’s happening. They worry but they know we’ve all been pretty well trained. We know what to look for and we know not to do something dumb when other people don’t know what to expect.”

Tell us a story you'll never forget about your firefighting experience.

“Most of the ones that I remember are a lot of accidents on the highway. You don’t know what you’re coming up to. You do have people who pass away in them...the bad parts and dealing with that. Also, getting people out of cars that have been trapped and rescuing them. With , getting people out that were stranded. You got them to safety and that does stay with you. Pretty much any call. A lot of them stay with you.”

What would you tell people interested in joining your fire company?

“It’s a great company. There is always something for somebody to do. It doesn’t matter how big or small it is, there is always something to do. If you want to give something back, it’s a great place to come to. You make a bond with everyone here.”

For more information about Dewey Fire Company, visit their website.