Will Schlier is Woodlawn's 'Firefighter of the Year'

For the second time in 10 years, Will Schlier has been named ’s Firefighter of the Year.

Schlier, who joined the all-volunteer department in 1995, was presented the 2011 award at the department's 84^th annual banquet, held Saturday at Willow Tree Grove, Orefield. 

In making the presentation, Woodlawn Assistant Fire Chief described Schlier as a “go-to” person when it comes to working on and around the station.

He was chosen by fellow team members for his efforts “above and beyond the call,” for his extensive training and for the time and effort he puts in at the firehouse, Search said.

The recognition is especially notable because Schlier is the first firefighter in Woodlawn’s history to receive the distinction for the second time. He was first named Firefighter of the Year in 2002.

“I was kind of surprised," Schlier said later. "I expected someone else to get it."

On hand to recognize Schlier’s accomplishment were fellow firefighters from Woodlawn, and fire companies, members of the and the South Whitehall Police Department. Also on hand were South Whitehall commissioners Tori Morgan and Dave Bond, Lehigh County Commissioner Brad Osborne and Lehigh County Director of Emergency Services Tom Nervine. Also attending was Lee Laubach, assistant chief of fire marshalls for Allentown.

Before naming this year’s recipient, those gathered listened as Morgan read a poem about what constitutes a “volunteer.” She thanked the company for its dedication on behalf of the township commissioners.

Schlier’s interest in becoming a volunteer firefighter began when he worked with two firefighters who ran with HanLeCo, a company in Northampton County.

“I moved back to Lehigh County, and one day I walked into Woodlawn and asked how to join. I filled out an application, was voted in, and the rest is history.” As he puts it, “I love it.”

During the day, Schlier is employed by South Whitehall's public works department.

As for hobbies, he admits he really doesn’t have any. “Most of my time is spent with my wife Debra, or at the station working on trucks with my son Kyle. I’m slowly breaking him in with working on the trucks." (He said Kyle joined the company as a junior junior firefighter when he was 15, then became a junior firefighter at 16, which allows him to run with the company though he can’t go outside of the township or respond to HazMat calls. "That will happen when he turns 18 and completes training,” he said.)

About Debra, Schlier says he and his wife don’t really talk about the danger when he responds to calls.  “I’ve always made it home. The only thing she’s ever talked about was when I was out for a really long time.”

He says he plans to be a firefighter “until I can’t do it anymore.”

Also receiving awards:

* Woodlawn’s , who has been with the company for 30 years. Held praised his team for their hard work and dedication and thanked them for “picking up the slack” during a recent personal crisis.

* David Bond and Todd Fahringer, 10 years of service each.

* Joe Cincilla and Jon Steed, five years of service each.

Attendees also welcomed a four-legged guest: Judge, a 3-year-old Labrador retriever who accompanied Laubach. Judge received a special gift -- a decontamination tub for baths after being exposed to hazardous material while responding to a call.

In accepting the gift, Laubach explained that Judge is one of just three arson dogs in Pennsylvania.

He added that last year Judge sniffed out a young arsonist who had set a fire and was part of a crowd watching the blaze. The dog picked up the scent of the accelerant and led the fire marshall to the teen, who was arrested and is now in a juvenile detention center.  

The fire company presented the tub, which will be housed in one of Allentown’s fire stations, so that Judge can be bathed there rather than in the fire marshall’s home.