Profiles in Volunteerism: Firefighter Ty Johnson

Name: Ty Johnson

Age: 36

Lives: Lower Saucon

Family: Son, girlfriend

Job: , Assistant Chief and Trustee

Fire Company: Southeastern Fire Company, Lower Saucon

Training so far: Firefighter 1, Firefighter 2, Vehicle Rescue, Specialized Vehicle Rescue, Ropes, CPR, Hazmat, Wildland, Incident Command

What's it like being a firefighter?

“It’s good. It’s nice to give back to the community and help your neighbors out. I like doing it or I wouldn’t be doing it for free.”

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

“They’re good with it because they know I like to do it. They just have to rely on the training that we have, that we’re going to be safe about our operations on the fire ground. There are some times where it’s not always convenient for the pager to go off. It interrupts Thanksgiving dinner and Christmas and that’s hard for the families. But, they deal with it.”

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

“There are a lot of them. The most memorable calls are the calls we run into on the Interstate highway. With all of the extrications we have and the severity of the accidents, they stick out the most in my mind.”

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

“It’s a good thing. You come to the firehouse and you meet new people and the guys stick by you when you need something. You help your fellow firemen out, whether it’s from your own station or the other stations in our community. It’s good. You’re always doing something different. You’re learning a lot of different stuff. You get to do different things that you wouldn’t do if you didn’t volunteer. It’s very rewarding.”