30 Years as an Alpha will teach you a thing or two -- or 200 -- as evidenced by this month's profile of firefighter Cliff Lutz. As you will see, what you get out of Alpha is equal to or greater than what you put into it.  As our final profile of 2018, take a moment to see how the deep tradition, community value and family spirit of the Alpha Volunteer Fire Company doesn't change from year to year, or decade to decade. About Clifford Lutz: Firefighter & … [Read more...]

Firefighter Alexa Tiemann took a suggestion from a PSU professor and ran with it. The result? She joined the Alpha Volunteer Fire Company in 2017 as a full-time live-in member while being a full-time student. The experience, as you will see, has been—and continues to be—a welcome challenge and an absolute blast every day she wakes up. About Alexa Tiemann: Firefighter & EMT Education: Studying Security Risk Analysis at Penn State Certifications: Firefighter 1 and GS2 Alpha Since … [Read more...]

Cold weather brings a whole new set of challenges to firefighters, fire police and first responders. From accessing and safely preparing the emergency scene, to the unique extremes placed on both firefighter and equipment alike, cold weather firefighting requires a combination of preparation and understanding that makes it an altogether different animal. The Extreme Challenges of Extreme Cold Weather Emergency Response. When temperatures hit freezing or below, just getting to the scene … [Read more...]