Being a student is challenging enough, with the pressures of classes, exams, and maintaining an active social life. For Richard Russo ‘26, Alexander Vincent ’27, Harlan Ogden ‘27, and Eric Snider ‘27, their days at Allegheny are defined by a unique balance of academics and volunteer firefighting in the Meadville community when needed.
From left to right: Alexander Vincent ’27, Harlan Ogden ‘27, Richard Russo ’26, and Eric Snider ‘27
From attending lectures throughout the day to dousing flames with a moment’s notice, and completing homework at night, they embody a commitment to their community that goes far beyond the classroom.
“I never thought I would become a volunteer firefighter, or do something like this before I came to this school, but it has opened a lot of doors for me, and now I’m trying to do it as a career because I fell in love with it so much,” says Russo, who is majoring in business with a minor in history.
Becoming a volunteer firefighter is no small feat, and it starts with intense physical and mental training. Ogden, an environmental science and sustainability major and political science minor, recalls the grueling workouts that require as much mental stamina as they do physical.
“We just trained for 16 hours in one weekend,” says Ogden. “During any given week, the four of us will get together and do cardio training multiple times every week.”
The training is not merely about acquiring technical skills; it also instills a sense of discipline, time management, and teamwork. Student firefighters often need to respond to emergencies at any time of the day or night, sometimes even during class hours, forcing them to make quick decisions about prioritizing their responsibilities. “School always comes first,” Russo said, but they will skip sleep and meals to respond to a fire call.
“You don’t have to respond, but we do feel an obligation to,” says Vincent, who is majoring in physics with a minor in history. “Volunteers are so down right now and most stations don’t have a good volunteer base to respond, so if we don’t have classes in the middle of the day, we might be the only ones who are able to respond to calls.”
The foursome lives together in Allegheny Commons – the residence hall that is closest to their station in West Mead, which enables them to respond to calls more quickly than if they were living elsewhere on campus.
“Our station is very active, and we have an active member base, so when we have the ability to respond, responding is absolutely something we intend to do,” Ogden says. “We’re always trying to recruit our friends to volunteer with us because the number of volunteer firefighters are down right now everywhere, not just at our station.”
The most direct impact of student volunteer firefighters is on the safety and security of the Meadville community. In many rural and small-town areas such as Meadville, volunteer firefighters are the backbone of emergency services. Without them, response times to emergencies would be significantly longer, leading to potentially devastating outcomes. Student volunteers also enhance the capabilities of local fire departments, ensuring that there is always a ready and able team to respond to calls. Their presence can be the difference between a contained fire and a tragic loss, or between a timely medical intervention and a fatal delay.
“It’s so rewarding after you help someone on fire calls because they’re likely going through the worst day of their life, and it’s so beneficial to show up on scene and make the hardest moment of their life get easier,” says Snider, a biochemistry major with a minor in energy and society.
From left to right: Eric Snider ‘27, Richard Russo ‘26, Harlan Ogden ‘27, and Alexander Vincent ’27
Beyond the immediate physical safety of their communities, student volunteer firefighters also play a vital role in fostering a sense of unity and camaraderie. Their service exemplifies community involvement, showing that even the busiest students can find time to contribute to the greater good of Meadville.
“We may be part of Allegheny, but we are guests here in Meadville at the end of the day, so volunteering is an opportunity to give back to the community that is essentially hosting us, and it’s something I strongly believe in,” Vincent says.
Moreover, student firefighters often participate in community outreach programs, such as fire safety education, CPR training, and disaster preparedness workshops. These initiatives help to educate the public, reduce the risk of emergencies, and empower other students to take proactive steps in ensuring their own safety.
The group is currently working on Allegheny’s first-ever First Responders Club, where they hope to “bring people together to talk about what it means to be a firefighter and work in EMS (emergency medical services),” says Snider.
“Our goal is to try to recruit more people who are interested in EMS,” Snider says. “They don’t need to make a commitment to join the fire department, but they can learn more about what we’re doing, and hopefully we can share some insight.”
In a world where time is often limited and responsibilities overwhelming, these four student volunteer firefighters prove that dedication and teamwork can overcome any challenge. They are not just students or firefighters—they are pillars of the Allegheny community, making an impact that extends far beyond the fires they extinguish.
