When emergency lights flash across Berks County, firefighters aren\u2019t the only volunteers on the scene. Standing at intersections, placing cones, and waving drivers through detours are members of the local fire police \u2014 a group whose mission is to protect both the public and first responders.<\/p>\n
Brian Simmon, fire police captain with Kenhorst Volunteer Fire Company, has been in the fire service for 25 years and part of the fire police for 22 of them. He started as a teenager in Cumru Township and says the work quickly became a calling. \u201cI enjoy helping people and keeping things safe,\u201d he explained. For him, volunteering isn\u2019t just about traffic control \u2014 it\u2019s about making sure firefighters can focus on their job and that neighbors are protected on the worst days of their lives.<\/p>\n
\u201cOut of the 50 states, there are only 14 that actually have fire police,\u201d Brian noted. \u201cMost of them are on the East Coast. So a lot of people don\u2019t really understand what we do.\u201d<\/p>\n
In Pennsylvania, fire police are sworn in and complete state-approved training before taking on duties. This gives them the legal authority to direct traffic and secure emergency scenes \u2014 something many drivers may not realize.<\/p>\n
Fire police serve within local fire companies. Their primary duty is traffic and crowd control at fires, crashes, and other emergencies. They respond in their own vehicles, equipped with lights, cones, and signage, to secure the scene while firefighters, EMS and police handle the incident itself.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe just want people to be safe,\u201d Brian said. \u201cIf traffic isn\u2019t controlled, it puts everyone at risk.\u201d<\/p>\n
For most residents, interactions with fire police happen behind the wheel. Volunteers are the ones closing roads, redirecting traffic, and creating safe zones around emergencies.<\/p>\n
\u201cSometimes people get upset with us,\u201d said Lance Parmar, lieutenant with West Reading Fire Police. \u201cWe\u2019ll get drivers rolling down the window saying they live right down the street and want to cut through. But we can\u2019t allow that \u2014 because the road is closed for a reason. If you see cones or tape, it\u2019s not just an inconvenience, it\u2019s because it\u2019s not safe.\u201d<\/p>\n
Glenva Drupp, who serves with Cumru Township Fire Police, echoed that reminder. \u201cPeople need to realize we\u2019re out there in the middle of the road, often in the dark or in bad weather. Please slow down and be alert. If we tell you to stop, it\u2019s because there\u2019s danger ahead.\u201d<\/p>\n
Brian added that one of the biggest challenges is drivers ignoring closures. \u201cSometimes we\u2019re setting up cones and someone drives right around them. That puts us and other responders in danger. We don\u2019t want that.\u201d<\/p>\n
Volunteers say they sometimes face frustration or even hostility from drivers. \u201cWe\u2019re not there to ruin someone\u2019s day,\u201d Lance said. \u201cWe\u2019re there to protect people \u2014 including the person who\u2019s upset.\u201d<\/p>\n
Local fire police frequently assist one another across municipal lines, particularly during large or complex incidents. Glenva says Cumru Township fire police alone have already responded to more than 900 calls this year, many of them with help from neighboring volunteers.<\/p>\n
\u201cOn big scenes, you\u2019ll see us working together \u2014 Kenhorst, Cumru, West Reading,\u201d Brian said. \u201cWe all back each other up because we\u2019re short staffed everywhere.\u201d<\/p>\n
While some may think of fire police as a role for older volunteers, Brian, Lance, and Glenva want the community to know it\u2019s an opportunity for people of all ages.<\/p>\n
Brian joined as a fire police officer at 18 in Cumru Township, one of the youngest in the county at the time. \u201cThis isn\u2019t just for retirees,\u201d he said. \u201cYounger people can and do serve. We need them.\u201d<\/p>\n
Lance agreed, noting that the role is well-suited for anyone who wants to serve but may not be interested in fighting fires directly. \u201cIf you still want to help your community, this is a really important way to do it,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
Fire police aren\u2019t only present during emergencies. Residents may also see them at parades, festivals, and other community events, where they manage traffic and keep pedestrians safe so families can enjoy the day without worry.<\/p>\n
Like fire companies across the region, local fire police are always in need of more volunteers. Anyone interested can reach out to their local fire department for information on joining.<\/p>\n
\u201cPeople don\u2019t always realize how rewarding it is,\u201d Glenva said. \u201cYou\u2019re helping protect your neighbors, and you\u2019re helping the firefighters focus on saving lives and property.\u201d<\/p>\n
As Brian put it, \u201cIf you see us out there, just know we\u2019re trying to keep everyone safe. Slow down, follow directions, and if you want to give back, consider joining. We could use you.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"When emergency lights flash across Berks County, firefighters aren\u2019t the only volunteers on the scene. Standing at intersections,…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":14002,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[11],"tags":[128,130,129],"class_list":["post-14001","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-reading","tag-reading-city","tag-reading-city-headlines","tag-reading-city-news"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/14001","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=14001"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/14001\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/14002"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=14001"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=14001"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=14001"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}