HERE’S THE GOOD NEWS. NO ONE WAS HURT. THE CAUSE OF THE FIRE IS UNDER INVESTIGATION. KELLY: TIME NOW FOR THIS WEEK’S ASK KELLY SEGMENT. TODAY’S QUESTION COMES FROM MIKE COMMON-DERR. >> HEY, KELLY. JUST WONDERING. WHAT DOES IT TAKE TO BECOME A VOLUNTEER FIREMAN THESE DAYS? KELLY: I CAME TO LEARN MIKE IS ACTUALLY A LIFE-LONG MEMBER OF CITIZEN’S HOSE COMPANY #1 IN GLASSPORT. SO, HE PROBABLY ALREADY KNOWS THE ANSWER TO THIS QUESTION BUT WANTS TO SHARE IT WITH THE COMMUNITY. ACCORDING TO FEMA PENNSYLVANIA HAS THE THIRD HIGHEST PERCENTAGE OF VOLUNTEER OR MOSTLY VOLUNTEER DEPARTMENTS AT 96.8%. SO, IT IS A GOOD QUESTION AND ONE I GOT ANSWERS FOR. IT IS NOT WRONG TO CALL OUR FIREFIGHTERS HEREOS. THE COMMON SAYING IS TRUE THEY RUN TOWARD DANGER WHERE MOST RUN AWAY FROM IT. IT’S ALSO TRUE THAT VOLUNTEERS DO IT FOR FREE. AND OFTEN AT INOPPORTUNE TIMES LIKE IN THE FREEZING COLD THE MIDDLE OF THE NIGHT OR HOLIDAYS. >> ITS ASKING A LOT OF A CITIZEN TO APPLY THEIR TIME TO NOT ONLY RESPOND BUT TO TRAIN. DO FUNDRAISING. ALL THOSE THINGS COME ALONG WITH CARRYING THAT HAT. AND LITERALLY DROPPING EVERYTHING YOU’RE DOING TO RESPOND TO THAT EMERGENCY ALL THE TIME. KELLY: MATTHEW BROWN IS THE CHIEF OF ALLEGHNEY DEPARTMENT OF EMERGENCY SERVICES AND ALSO A LIFELONG VOLUNTEER FIREFIGHTER. WE CAUGHT UP WITH HIM AT THE ALLEGHENY COUNTY FIRE ACADEMY ON A DAY WHEN SEVERAL DEPARTMENTS WERE OUT THERE TRAINING. >> I REALLY ENJOYED WATCHING IT FROM A YOUNG AGE SO I DECIDED TO JOIN AS SOON AS I COULD. I JUST JOINED 2 MONTHS AGO. KELLY: ASHLEY HAS BEEN TO ONE WORKING FIRE SO FAR IN HER HOME MUNICIPALITY OF MUNHALL. >> WHENEVER I PRACTICE IT IN A SAFE SETTING LIKE THIS OVER AND OVER AGAIN, IT MAKES ME MORE COMFORTABLE. KELLY: INSTRUCTORS AT THE ACADEMY SAY THE HOURS THESE YOUNG FIREFIGHTERS PUT IN ARE CRITICAL FOR THEIR RESPONSE AT REAL EMERGENCIES. KELLY: I THINK ITS IMPORTANT WHEN SOMEONE FROM THE PUBLIC CALLS THE FIRE DEPARTMENT THAT WHOEVER ARRIVES UNDERSTANDS THE PROBLEM THEY’RE DEALING WITH AND IS ABLE TO DEAL WITH IT. KELLY: STEVE IMBARLINA IS THE ASSISTANT CHIEF FOR ALLEGHENY COUNTY EMERGENCY SERVICES. HE SAYS THE MINIMUM NATIONAL STANDARD OF TRAINING FOR FIGHTERS IS JUST OVER 160 HOURS. THIS ACADEMY AND OTHERS AROUND PENNSYLVANIA ALONG WITH SOME COMMUNITY COLLEGES PROVIDE THAT TRAINING AND CERTIFICATION. BUT AND ITS A BIG BUT EVERY ONE OF PENNSYLVANIA’S 1,801 REGISTERED DEPARTMENTS CAN DECIDE WHETHER OR NOT TO REQUIRE THAT TRAINING. AND MANY DON’T. THE OFFICE OF THE STATE FIRE COMMISIONER’S PARTICIPATION RECOGNITION PROGRAM SAYS ONLY 31 DEPARTMENTS IN THE STATE ARE 100% CERTIFIED. 60 DEPARTMENTS ARE 75%. 59 ARE 50%. AND 36 ARE 10%. THERE’S GOING TO BE RESISTANCE THERE ALWAYS IS. -- >> AND THERE’S GOING TO BE RESISTANCE. THERE ALWAYS IS. KELLY: MARK GHION IS CHIEF OF THE SUTERSVILLE VOLUNTEER FIRE DEPARTMENT. HIS DEPARTMENT WILL REACH 100% OF VOLUNTEERS TRAINED AND CERTIFIED BY JANUARY. WITH A POPULATION OF ONLY 474 IN SUTERSVILLE ITS AN INCREDIBLY RARE FEAT. AND IT DIDN’T COME EASY. WHEN HE CAME HOME TO SUTERSVILLE TO SERVE IN THE DEPARTMENT THERE WERE NO REQUIREMENTS. >> YOU KNOW, THERE WAS A PILE OF COATS, A PILE OF HELMETS, THE TRADING WAS BASICALLY COME TO THE NEXT FIRE. WE WILL JUMP ON THE TRUCK AND DO THE BEST WE CAN. THAT DIDN’T SIT WELL WITH ME. KELLY: HE BECAME CHIEF IN 1991 AND IT’S TAKEN ALMOST 20 YEARS TO GET TO 100%. >> IT’S A FAIRLY HIGH STANDARD TO HOLD. BUT I LOOK AT IT THIS WAY. IF ITS MY FAMILY JAMMED P UNDER A DASHBOARD A 2:00 IN THE MORNING I WANT SOMEBODY COMING , OUT THAT KNOWS WHAT THEY’RE DOING. NOT SOMEONE COMING OUT THAT’S TRYING THEIR BEST. BECAUSE WHAT IF THEIR BEST IS COMPLETE INCOMPETENCE? >> 160 HOURS IS A LOT TO ASK OF VOLUNTEERS. ESPECIALLY AT A TIME WHERE RECRUITMENT AND RETENTION HAVE BECOME TOP PRIORITIES FOR THESE VOLUNTEER DEPARTMENTS. BUT ASK ANY LONG-TIME VOLUNTEER WHY THEY DO IT AND YOU’LL FIND NO REGRETS. >> I THINK ITS THAT CAMRARDERIE. THE TEAMWORK. THE PEOPLE THAT THEY’RE WITH. THE MEN AND WOMEN THAT THEY TRAIN AND RESPOND WITH. BUT AGAIN, ITS THEIR COMMUNITY. ITS THEIR TOWN. IT COULD BE THEIR NEIGHBOR OR FAMILY MEMBER WHO IS THE PERSON IN NEED ON THAT NEXT CALL. KELLY: AND OF COURSE, WE DON’ WANT TO GLOSS OVER THE FACT THAT THIS TRAINING IS ALSO LIFE-SAVING TO THE FIREFIGHTER. THE NATIONAL FIRE PROTECTION AGENCY REPORTS THAT EVERY YEAR BETWEEN 60 AND 70 FIREFIGHTERS LOSE THEIR LIVES IN THE LINE OF DUTY IN THE U.S. LAST YEAR 10 OF THOSE DEATHS A DISPROPORTIONATE AMOUNT OCCURRED IN PENNSYLVANIA. A LOT OF THESE ACADEMIES PROVIDE THE TRAINING AT NO COST TO THE VOLUNTEER FIREFIGHTER. TO LEARN MORE ABOUT THE REQUIREMENTS TO BECOMING A FIREFIGHTER IN YOUR COMMUNITY , JUST VISIT YOUR LOCAL FIRE HALL. AS ALWAYS, IF YOU HAVE A QUESTION I CAN GET ANSWERED FOR YOU, LET ME KNOW. YOU CAN LEAVE A VOICE MESSAGE AT THE NUMBER ON YOUR SCREEN. OR YOU CAN JUMP STRAIGHT IN AND SEND ME A VIDEO MESSAGE. LIKE MIKE DID. YOU CAN SHARE THAT WITH ME IN A FACEBOOK MESSAGE