After the show stopping performance that was the Hamilton Fire Department (HFD) putting out a blazing fire in the middle of the academic quad, many were left curious about the experience of the Colgate University Student Firefighters. As members of the HFD, the volunteers are required to regularly carry pagers and are prepared to drop everything to respond to a call. With 128 hours of training required, the position involves immense dedication. Their training prepares them to respond to calls, both on campus and around town, that mostly consist of EMS, car accidents, fallen power lines and, of course, fighting fires.
Sophomores Sasha Wiebler and Kathryn Shearer, both having no prior experience in fire or emergency services, were accepted to train as volunteer firefighters of the HFD in 2023. They then undertook training in New York State’s Basic Exterior Firefighting Operations and Interior Firefighting Operations with five other first-year recruits.
Apprehensive at first, Shearer decided to face this task head on, and has no regrets in doing so.
“I interviewed and thought maybe this isn’t for me, and then they accepted me, and I thought, I’m just going to give it a try,” Shearer said. “It has been a really rewarding experience.”
Training sessions are held multiple times a week for several hours, Shearer explained.
“The whole ordeal would end up lasting from around 4 p.m. to 10:30 p.m., which I feel like was a lot, but it was so bonding, and some of my absolute best friends are doing it with me,” Shearer said. “Overall it was so worth it, and I don’t think the time commitment was ever an issue for me.”
Like Shearer, Wiebler embraced the intense training required of him. He viewed the training as taxing but gratifying.
“Several times each week, we’d pile all our gear into a van and drive ourselves to a fire training center nearby,” Wiebler said. “Every session was different, with some consisting of lectures and others of strenuous physical drills to simulate the situations we’d go through when fighting fires. Rain or shine, we attended these trainings, and did so with open minds.”
Wiebler also expressed that the sense of community gained from membership in the Hamilton Fire Department is unmatched.
“The time, effort and commitment warranted by participation in such an organization truly solidifies bonds and friendships between those involved, and creates an atmosphere of cooperation and warmth seldom seen elsewhere on campus,” Wiebler said.
Colgate students only make up around 30 percent of the department, giving the student members the unique chance to form lifelong friendships outside of the University with members of the Madison community. Senior Will Boemer, a student volunteer firefighter, commented on how much he appreciates these bonds.
“For me, the most rewarding part is the relationships with members from other public service agencies here in Madison County. Whether it’s neighboring fire departments, ambulance services or law enforcement, it’s really unique as a student to have a working relationship with these folks, and to see them around town or on emergency calls,” Boemer said.
Shearer shares in Boemer’s enthusiasm for meeting locals and connecting with Madison County beyond Colgate.
“I did training with local people from around the county who have drastically different life experiences than I do […] That has been a really cool experience to work side by side with people I would have never encountered otherwise,” Shearer said.
The Colgate students who volunteer for the HFD represent all corners of campus life. Wiebler observed that a strong comradery exists within the campus firefighters despite their many individual differences.
“Among the student volunteers currently serving the department, one can observe a variety of different majors and fields of study — but also a unifying sense of love and dedication towards the work that the department does,” Wiebler said. “As is the case with essentially every firefighter you ask on campus, the best part about being a student volunteer has to be the sense of community that comes along with HFD membership.”
This year, on the twenty-third anniversary of the events of Sept. 11, 2001, the department received an early morning call to action, responding to a hay barn fire in Earlville. The firefighters are able to witness first hand the solidarity and strength of Madison County.
“HFD was called for both water and manpower, along with several other departments, to help take care of the blaze that had engulfed the structure’s contents. My fellow firefighters and I stayed on scene for about seven hours, working hard to contain the smoke and flames coming from within the barn’s massive piles of hay,” Wiebler said. “It was an amazing experience to see the community come together — both through working with firefighters from other departments and witnessing the efforts of those who came to support the first responders with food, water and coffee.”
Volunteering for the HFD also helps Colgate students to establish a sense of place within the state of New York. After the impressive seven hours the volunteers spent bravely combating the barn fire, the department put their 50-pound gear back on for the first day of training. They then climbed 110 stories as a tribute to the first responders that lost their lives on Sept. 11, 2001, in New York City.
For Shearer, a Seattle, Wash. native, volunteering for HFD deepened her respect for those who selflessly gave their lives on Sept. 11.
“It’s cool to be in New York, and to be a part of the New York Fire Department because they really embrace what it means to be a firefighter, and what it looked like for the most courageous people,” Shearer said.
Volunteering for the Hamilton Fire Department gives Colgate students the opportunity to connect with the local community and to build lasting relationships with both Colgate students and their fellow firefighters.
“We’re very happy as volunteers to act as a bridge between Colgate’s permanent residents and the student community,” Wiebler said. “We all understand the significance of the work we do at the department, and we are very glad to be able to give back to the local community in the ways that we do.”
