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...]
Archives for December 2018
Alpha Fire Company Member Profile: Alexa Tiemann
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...]
Want to see Santa’s location?
You can watch the Santa Express in real time on a Google map. Just go to aprs.fi. If you wind up in Helsinki Finland simply put SANTAW or SANTAE into the 'Search Call Sign' box. … [Read more...]
2018 Santa Express Christmas Eve Routes are now available
Santa Run Route: Monday, December 24, 2018 Starting 4:00 PM! The routes for each of the 2018 Alpha Fire Company Santa Express caravans are now available. You can click on the links below to see or download the routes. Santa Express West-2018 Santa Express East-2018 TRACK Santa's Engines Here! Both … [Read more...]
In Cold Weather, Alpha Volunteer Firefighters Fight More Than Just Fire
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...]
Worth The Weight: The Work Uniform of an Alpha Volunteer Firefighter.
When you make the commitment to become an Alpha Volunteer Firefighter, one of the first things you learn going in is that you’re going to gain weight. But unlike the “freshman fifteen” or overdoing the holidays, this weight is temporary, even though it’s constant when you go to a fire scene or emergency. It’s the weight you gain every time you answer a call by wearing the vital Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) that allows us to do our jobs as safely as possible. Let’s take a look at the … [Read more...]