Sean Bookmyer, 28, enjoys serving his neighbors in their time of need.
“There is no better feeling than being the person with the hose in your hand or the ‘jaws of life,’ knowing that you are making a difference. And the adrenaline rush is pretty intense!” he says.
When he was a teen, his friend Bill and his dad were very active at Craley Fire Company. After school and in the summers, Sean and Bill rode their bikes to the station to play basketball. Sean hated watching the fire truck leave with empty seats and not being able to help out.
Sean, age 14, shortly after joining Craley Fire Company as a junior firefighter.
“I had to join the day I turned 14,” he said.
Sean started as a junior firefighter, helping wherever he could. At 16, he started vehicle rescue and firefighting classes, which can be finished at 18 to earn a Firefighter I certification. At 19, Sean was appointed to lieutenant and climbed the ranks to assistant chief until this past January.
Sean has a newborn baby and is getting married in September, so he doesn’t have as much time as he likes to volunteer. Currently, he serves as a firefighter and is on the Board of Directors.
“We are running twice the calls as when I started 14 years ago,” said Sean. “We need more volunteers to answer the community’s need.”
Craley Fire Company is a highly active station, responding to 400+ calls annually in Lower Windsor Township and providing mutual aid in neighboring communities.
Additionally, Sean works full-time for Kinsley Construction running heavy equipment and operates his own part-time excavating business.
“Being a volunteer helped me gain leadership skills and broaden my knowledge of driving large trucks, first aid and other skills that I use in daily life.”
To learn more about volunteering or sign up, click here.