Twin Valley High School Shares Her Volunteer Firefighter Story

It’s not hard to understand why Michaela Brooks first decided to become a junior volunteer firefighter at Twin Valley Fire Department in Elverson.

“My father (Chief Jason Brooks) has been a firefighter my entire life,” said the 17-year-old senior at Twin Valley High School. “So I kind of grew up with service being a major part of my life. So when I became of age to join, it was no question to me to join and become a part of that family.”

Yet what’s kept the teen going for the last three years as a volunteer has been the strong friendships she’s made as a result of her decision to help protect her community.

“We are such a closely knit family and spend so much time together,” she said. “And there are a lot of issues and things that we can talk to each other because we all understand what we’re going through.”

Life as a junior firefighter is a lot of work but it’s also really rewarding. While junior firefighters can’t go into burning buildings until they turn 18, they can still play a big part at the scene of a blaze. For example, Michaela will often help supply water to hose lines, so firefighters can extinguish the flames.

She said volunteering in a male dominated field like firefighting can be challenging, but she enjoys showing the boys what’s she made of. “The payoff is nice when you can say I can do the same things you can do. I can keep up with you.”

With less than a year to go before she can become a full-time firefighter, Michaela is already taking the steps needed to complete her training. She’d like to turn her passion for helping others as a firefighter into a career someday, so she spent the summer honing her skills at the Chester County Public Safety Training Campus in Coatesville during Junior Public Safety Camp. Soon she’ll be taking the firefighter training course to become a certified in basic interior firefighting.

“You’re always learning and taking classes,” she said. “It is definitely a lot of work but it pays off in the end.”

When asked if she had any advice for someone her age who might be interested in becoming a volunteer firefighter, Michaela said to never give up.

“It will be a lot of work but definitely never give up and keep pushing forward,” she said. “If you need help there’s always a bunch of people you can go to and ask. Never be afraid to try or ask for help.”

Becoming a junior firefighter is a great way to volunteer. And there are plenty of opportunities to do so across the county, so you can be just like Michaela. If you’re 14 years old or older, there are so many reasons to volunteer. You will gain valuable experience around your local fire house, the training and gear are free, and serving your community can help you build an impressive college resume. So don’t wait!

Michaela Brooks has plenty of reasons to volunteer. What are yours? Visit HelpFightFire.com and volunteer today. Chester County lives depend on it.