Capt. John Archer had hoped to see an increase in volunteer firefighters after the events of Sept. 11, but it hasn’t been the case.
By: Scott Morgan
HIGHTSTOWN Capt. John Archer laments seeing the numbers dwindle.
It is a regrettable symptom of modern life that volunteer firefighters discontinue their services because they just don’t have the time, he said. They take on two jobs or move away and the number of men and women able to respond to an emergency fritters away with them.
In light of the recent terror attacks, Capt. Archer said he had hoped to see an increase in the number of people willing to volunteer at Hightstown Engine Company No. 1. But though community response to firefighters since Sept. 11 has been overwhelmingly positive, Capt. Archer said there is very little interest in volunteering just when more people than ever are needed.
Currently, the pool of volunteers numbers around 30, of which 18 to 20 typically respond to an emergency, he said. "But we need a lot more," he added.
He would prefer to have an additional 25 volunteers. Not everyone can be a firefighter, of course. Ideally, Capt. Archer is looking for men and women between 25 and 35 years old, married, stable and in shape.
"I’m not going to lie to you it’s not a nonstrenuous job," he said. It takes focus, dedication and a good level of fitness to carry 45 pounds of gear into action, he said.
And the reward for all this effort?
"Goose bumps," he said. "I’m looking for the guys who get the goose bumps when the flag goes up or when they hear the national anthem. Those guys are the heart of America and I’ll take them any day."
But Capt. Archer is nothing, if not pragmatic. He understands payment in goose bumps does not draw the necessary number of volunteers to the Fire Department. He said volunteers are covered by borough insurance for worker’s compensation and provided with the LOSAP retirement plan. LOSATP short for Length of Service Awards Program places $750 per year into a retirement plan for volunteer firefighters.
But even this does not sway enough people toward volunteering, he said. To combat the problems that face most volunteer fire departments around the country, he said he and Mayor Amy Augenbaugh are discussing ways to increase incentives for people to offer their services.
To those not comfortable with certain aspects of firefighting, Capt. Archer offered two reassurances.
First, "We don’t make anybody do anything they don’t want to do. If you’re afraid of heights, we’re not going to send you up a ladder," he said.
Second, he said not all calls are fires. He said many calls deal with extraction of auto crash victims or even getting to know the community and promoting fire safety.
In fact, members of Engine Company No. 1, including Capt. Archer, have visited borough schools in the past two days to teach kids about fire prevention and safety. This is, after all, National Fire Prevention Week.
Capt. Archer said the department visits schools occasionally and takes students through the "smoke house," a portable training facility which simulates residential fire conditions.
While he maintains emergency work is not all fun and games, Capt. Archer said there is nothing like the feeling of teamwork when "the guys" (which includes two women, by the way) all work together as a unit.

