An Hour With: The College Park Volunteer Fire Department

Fire engines shot down Route 1, rushing to the flames of the latest fire, to the cries of the nearest victim in need. But who are the men and women poised for action on the back of the barreling red trucks? On Wednesday, it was the fire fighters and EMTs of College Park Fire Department Station 12, attending to the nearby hostage crisis in Silver Spring.

Station 12's staff work as volunteers out of the great brick doors of 8115 Baltimore Ave, steps from the University of Maryland where many take class. Although the College Park Fire Department is part of the Prince George's County Fire Department, this house consists of mainly students coming from not only the University of Maryland, but Montgomery College and other nearby schools. Students are required to maintain a 2.0 grade point average and enroll in at least 12 credits per semester to remain in the program.

What's the incentive behind volunteering?

Those who choose to live in the house – which 18 do, at the moment – receive free housing within the fire house, convenient for those like Fire Marshall Matt Cardoso, 20, a sophomore at UMd. across the street. In fact, two poles lead directly to the dormitory-style housing located upstairs and provide a quick and easy exit for live-in fire fighters to respond to calls immediately.

 Although not all members of the program live in the house, those who do maintain assigned shifts.

"Others - we call them townies - fill in the gaps," said Cardoso.

However, because the core of the house consists of students, the station is staffed by Prince George's County staff from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. on weekdays, allocating class time for members.

Working at Station 12 provides members with more than just a place to live. It also opens windows to a future in the industry.

"For me this is the job I want to do for the rest of my life," said Cardoso. "Once you do this – that's why I dropped engineering. I didn't want to sit behind a desk."

Cardoso originally studied fire protection engineering, like many of his colleagues at the fire house, but switched to communications, a degree he felt better prepared him to interact with the public as Fire Marshall. Recently, he took the test to become a firefighter and hopes to get hired by the end of next summer.

Dave Stacy, 21, a senior studying fire protection engineering at UMd., also wants to be a professional fire fighter. For Stacy, one of the greatest benefits of the program was the responsibility he gained as a student fire fighter.

"Every call we go to, it's just us," said Stacy. "It's pretty cool how we all are young but act professional."