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Stepping Up to Serve: Juniata Student Volunteers Support HRFR
(Posted December 15, 2025)
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Front row, from the left, Isaac March, Brooks Richardson, Nicko Negret, Stacy Vasquez, Elyse Umble, John Barrera; back row, Nash Hoover, Ibrahim Ahmed, Lowell Jones, Ethan Gao, Ethan Schroeder, and Vance Palazzari.
Front row, from the left, Isaac March, Brooks Richardson, Nicko Negret, Stacy Vasquez, Elyse Umble, John Barrera; back row, Nash Hoover, Ibrahim Ahmed, Lowell Jones, Ethan Gao, Ethan Schroeder, and Vance Palazzari.
HUNTINGDON, Pa. – Amid a statewide shortage of volunteer firefighters, several Juniata College students are strengthening the front lines at Huntingdon Regional Fire and Rescue (HRFR).
“The volunteer situation in most communities is in dire straits. We’re bucking the trend with help from these college students,” said HRFR Fire Chief Tim Furlong. “Nationally speaking, most people will tell you it’s a generational decline – that this generation doesn’t want to volunteer – but we don’t see that. This generation is very much more in tune with community and is willing to stand up for what they believe.”
HRFR recently held a swearing-in ceremony to welcome a new cohort of Juniata volunteers: Ethan Gao ’27 of Chengdu, China; Nicko Negrete ’29 of Chicago, Ill.; Brooks Richardson ’26 of Gulfport, Miss.; Elyse Umble ’28 of Emporium, Pa.; and Nash Hoover ’27 of Great Falls, Va.
They join student members Ethan Schroeder ’26 of Silver Springs, N.Y.; Vance Palazzari ’26 of Huntingdon, Pa.; Isaac March ’26 of Washington, Pa.; Matthew Tiernan ’26 of Willow Grove, Pa.; Stacy Vasquez ’28 of Baltimore, Md.; Ibrahim Ahmed ’28 of Baltimore, Md.; and John Barrera ’26 of Medford, N.J.
Lowell Jones ’29 of Bangor, Pa., and Emeric François of Lille, France, have pending membership.
Past student volunteers typically had firefighting experience prior to College or had a family connection to volunteer emergency services. In recent years, however, there has been a significant increase in interest among students who have no previous exposure to firefighting, just a willingness to serve.
“I joined during my sophomore year, so I’m new to the fire service,” said Barrera. “I was looking for an opportunity to give back to the community. I did some quick research, found the fire station down the street, walked in, and asked for an application.”
All volunteer firefighters must complete nearly 200 hours of state-mandated training and stay current with required department meetings.
Eager to get started, Barrera and one of the friends who joined along with him spent time at the Allegheny Fire Academy over the summer to complete the bulk of the essentials training.
“I love the fire service – the culture and the mission – and helping people. There are a lot of opportunities for leadership, even for those who are new. Most of our mentors and senior officers have been doing this their whole lives,” he said. “The beauty of it is there is always more to learn and you can always get better.”
At Lobsterfest, Juniata’s annual fall celebration introducing students to clubs and activities, the College’s firefighter cohort represented HRFR. Many of the newly sworn-in members picked up their applications at the event.
“Even without being sworn in, they were attending trainings and learning about the station,” Furlong said. “They are really dedicated.”
The addition of students to the volunteer ranks of HRFR strengthens the connection between campus and community while training a new generation of leaders committed to serving others.
Contact April Feagley at feaglea@juniata.edu or (814) 641-3131 for more information.