Welcome to Progress 32 - Always Willing and Ready

Our monthly Alumni gatherings are sparking some memories. Bummy (Mike Bumgardner) sent us this photo and article from March 7, 1981: Progress ‘Live-In’ Firemen Agree: The Price is Right By MARY KLAUS Staff Writer Their living quarters resemble barracks, their kitchen is institutional in design and they are required to perform a variety of household chores at various hours of the day and night – but all agree that the price is right. Progress Fire Company’s five “live-in” firefighters reside in the firehouse at 3440 Maple Street rent-free with just one catch: They must be able and available to fight fires. Modeled after a similar program at the University of Maryland, the live-in setup offers Susquehanna Twp. round-the-clock fire protection in exchange for free lodging for the live-ins who double as full-time fire science students at Harrisburg Area Community College. “We were having a problem with manpower and our membership was dropping,” Progress Fire Chief David Houseal said. “We had a bunkroom and were close to HACC. We have something to offer them and they have something to offer us.” Soon afterwards, the program was developed. Progress Capt. Lorin Mock, one of the original live-ins, when the program began in January 1978, said that the company has from three to six live-ins at a time. He said that most of the 15 live-in “graduates” now work as paid firefighters or in the insurance field. Houseal said that persons applying for the live-in program should be experienced firefighters and must be enrolled in a higher education program. “All our live-ins so far have been enrolled in HACC’s fire science program,” he said, “although you don’t have to be studying fire science. Live-ins usually sign a contract that they will live here from one to four semesters.” Live-ins may stay longer as long as they are needed and going to school, Mock said, adding that other company members periodically live in the station. The live-ins come from throughout the state, usually from small volunteer fire companies, and become “like a family” during their stay in Progress. Current live-ins – all HACC fire science majors – include Mike Bumgardner of Reedsville, Joe Handoe of Thorndale, Larry rock of Chambersburg, Todd Shelley of Ickesburg, and Steve Sipe of New Oxford. After being accepted into the company, the live-ins move into the station, which includes an engine room, kitchen, comfortable lounge, bathroom and crowded bunkroom. The live-ins give the station a homelike atmosphere – for instance, “Gober,” Handoe’s stuffed monkey, adds a colorful note to the drab, meagerly-furnished bunkroom crammed with bunks, sneakers and clothing. Houseal said that six live-ins are accepted at a time and that the program runs September through June. Mock said that since the arrival of the live-ins, the mood at the Progress station often resembles a fraternity house. “There are water battles, springs pulled out of mattresses, bed short-sheeting, shaving cream battles and times when the chief (Houseal) sneaks around in the middle of the night scaring the guys or putting the lights out.” Once, shortly after becoming a live-in, Handoe approached his busy chief during the company’s bingo and asked to speak to him. After a few minutes, the chief came to Handoe – who reported that a man had called in a grass fire a few minutes earlier. Firefighters rushed to the scene to extinguish the blaze – and soon afterwards, Handoe lost his initial shyness. But it’s not all fun and games among the live-ins. Before they work as full-fledged Progress firefighters, they must be company-certified in breathing apparatus, hose lays, equipment use and procedures, engine and truck company operations and other company procedures. Most of the live-ins came to Progress with firefighting experience. Bumgardner has with nine years of firefighting experience, including four in the Air Force. Rock, a volunteer firefighter since 1976, became a live-in to supplement his HACC fire science classes with “hands-on” training. Handoe, a volunteer firefighter for six years, will work as fire and safety coordinator at Brandywine Hospital after graduating from HACC this fall. The live-ins all cited financial reasons for joining Progress’ program. Houseal said the program allows participants to live cheaply and gives the company an “instant crew Monday through Friday because we don’t have to wait for other firefighters to get here. We can get our first engine out in one or two minutes.” Many of the live-ins go home on weekends. The program benefits the company, Houseal said, adding that “our regular members have accepted the live-ins, who now do much of the in-station work such as rolling hose and cleaning the engine room, etc.” But most of all, the program benefits the Susquehanna Twp. Residents. For instance, Mock said that Progress firefighters were at a Schoolhouse Lane house fire within two minutes after the blaze was reported at 5 a.m. one Monday last December, thanks to the live-ins. “When we got there, one story of a 2 ½ story brick and frame dwelling was involved (with fire),” Mock said. “We had four live-ins on the engine and, while two did search and rescue, the other two knocked down the fire and contained it. Thank God the smoke detectors went off and the people got out of the house, although we didn’t know it at the time. When you think of a volunteer fire company making a one-minute response at 5 a.m., it’s amazing.”