Jenkintown Fire Department’s Thursday drill nights are key to its responders — the Pioneer Fire Company and the Independent Fire Company — staying sharp. An Abington Patch story from Communication Solutions Group explained.

“Getting to an incident and trying to figure out what to do is not an option,” said Independent Chief Ken Lynch. “During training, there will be mistakes. And training is the place to make them.”

To ensure that volunteers can perform with all crew members, comfort-zone familiarity is put aside.

“We intentionally mix people up with people they don’t know,” said Lynch. “That is very deliberate.”

The intent is to have tasks become innate.

“It becomes muscle memory; you automatically know how to go and get it done,” said Independent Deputy Chief Bill Pross. “You’re operating in rain, snow, almost everything, with hazards, wires, and trees factoring in.”

Live burning drills are necessary but dangerous.

Kevin Plunkett, a 13-year volunteer, remembers his first.

“It was exciting but nerve-wracking,” he said. “It was a great way to learn how to respond to an actual fire.”

Residents who may want to join the Jenkintown volunteers can find out more about Jenkintown Fire Fighters online.

The full story on drill nights is at the Abington Patch.

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Volunteering for a local fire fighting company can be a very rewarding way of giving back to a community, as this video explains;
companies can accommodate various backgrounds, strengths, skills, and ages.