Have you ever thought about what would happen if your basement flooded or your neighbor's house caught on fire? Your local volunteer fire department will come and help you, if they have anyone available to respond. We've all seen the signs asking for volunteers. It's no secret that membership is down.
I'm a local teen from Colonie, New York. I grew up in a first responder home, so it was no surprise when I joined the Shaker Road Loudonville Fire Department at 14 years old, thanks to a program called Fire Explorers.
Fire Explorers gives teenagers the opportunity to explore a career in the fire services through a hands-on learning experience with real equipment. And before you worry, we do not run into burning buildings. We learn in a controlled training environment under the careful watch of experienced adult advisors, along with learning to hit a hydrant and throw a ladder.
As I watched neighboring departments struggle, I got an idea. Why not recruit teens? As a lifelong Girl Scout, I was preparing for my Girl Scout Gold Award Project, which asks Girl Scouts to identify community needs and develop sustainable solutions through leadership and service. Using my unique perspective with Fire Explorers, I decided my project would focus on recruiting teens.
It's common to see teens at other community volunteer projects, like animal shelters and food banks, so why not firefighting? I didn't rely on only my firsthand experience; I created a survey asking teens a simple question: Why are you not a Fire Explorer? Over 50 male and female students ages 12 to 21 participated in the survey. Fifty percent of teens said their main reason for not joining was that they have different career interests, and 27% said they did not even know what a Fire Explorer Post was.
Using this as my foundation, I created a website - Ignitethegold.com - which brings volunteer firefighting information directly to teens. The website outlines what Fire Explorers learn, common misconceptions about volunteer firefighting, how to join, and the benefits firefighting teaches, like leadership and communication skills.
Since the data clearly showed that a majority of teens don't realize that they don't need to give up their career to serve their community, one thing I really wanted to highlight on the website and throughout this whole project is that volunteer firefighters worldwide serve their communities alongside their chosen professions. You can be a teacher, an electrician, a business owner, or even a radio talk-show host, and a volunteer firefighter.
Through this project, my Fire Explorer Post, Post 475, has seen 18 new members join in the last year. Not only have I had the opportunity to impact my community, but I get to be part of something bigger than myself with my second family.
Of course, firefighting isn't limited to teens, anyone can serve their community. Helping local firehouses ensures that rescuers will still be there when we need them. For more information about this project and volunteer firefighting visit ignite the gold dot com.
Schuyler Riedell is a high school senior, a member of Shaker Road Loudonville Fire Department and a lifelong Girl Scout who earned her Gold Award in 2025. When she’s not studying, she plays softball and curling, does puzzles, and chats with everyone she meets.
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