For most of us, when we see an ambulance or a fire truck in our everyday lives, it is a casual sight. While driving down McKinley Parkway or Route 219, you could see an ambulance with lights and sirens, and once you pull over and let it pass you, it is out of mind almost as soon as it’s out of sight. And then, our mind continues to wander as if nothing happened.

The sight of an ambulance or the sounds of sirens in the distance may seem inconspicuous at times, but when your life is in danger or you are in need of help, the lights on that ambulance or fire truck can easily be mixed up with the lights from heaven, and for good reason.

In the suburban town of Hamburg, NY, with a population of almost 60,000 people, one fire department consisting of about 60 volunteers is in charge of being there when we need help. Keep in mind, for every member in the department, there is another thousand people that could need help, which this department has done so without missing one single call for over seven years, despite having a dense workload of about three to five calls every day. That is around 1,300 calls every year, which was confirmed by Hamburg firefighter Josh Preshoff.

The Hamburg Fire department is located on 301 Union St, with an impressive number of clean, well-kept fire and EMS apparatus’s, ready at a moment’s notice to help those in their community.

“The department has made me a more open, and a more outspoken person. I feel as though because of the department, I became a more approachable and selfless person” Firefighter Josh Preshoff claimed. Sharon Dimpfl, who has been a member of the department for 32 years, agreed.

“I get to see extraordinary things” Dimpfl said. “It makes me feel lucky to be able to help others”.

Preshoff of the Hamburg VFD stated:

“It’s like being in a big family. They include you in what they do, they teach you and help you grow. Everyone here will help you with anything”.

Similarly, four-year EMT Brendan Moses stated “The people in your community, and the experiences you go through definitely make it interesting and worthwhile. Also, your coworkers are what makes the department feel like a big family”.

Moses said, like volunteer companies around the country, Hamburg is eager to recruit new members.”

We are always wanting and accepting more volunteers. Feel free to stop by at 7:00 pm every Monday and Wednesday” Moses added.