By Jaime North
The Daily Item, Sunbury, Pa.
LEWISBURG, Pa. — Once Mark Carollo got a taste of volunteer firefighting, he was hooked.
Nearly 15 years after joining William Cameron Engine Company as a Bucknell University student, the 32-year-old New York native has moved up the ranks to become fire chief.
The newly minted chief, who took office in January, is eager to provide the type of leadership to the new crop of firefighters that his mentors gave him.
“I got hooked on the fact there is so many disciplines in training,” said Carollo, who graduated from Bucknell in 1999. “You train on vehicle rescues, house rescues and rope rescues, among many other things. There is so much to learn.”
Carollo said the best part of serving is putting all of the training into action.
“Being able to help people in a time of need is what makes it all worthwhile,” Carollo said. “When you get a thank you, it makes it that much better.”
Carollo is also a link between William Cameron and Bucknell, which has about 12 students each year volunteer with the fire company. Carollo’s interest was sparked the moment he stepped on campus.
“When I was looking at colleges, I saw a bunch had on-campus ambulance services,” Carollo said. “That sparked an interest in me, and I wanted to get involved when I began college.”
According to Carollo, he linked up with William Cameron and became a certified emergency medical technician over the summer after his freshman year. It was his first-ever experience with emergency service or firefighting.
It didn’t take long until the firefighters began urging him to try firefighting, Carollo said. After a few training sessions, Carollo said he was hooked.
Outside the fire station, Carollo is married with two sons, a 3-year-old and a 1-year-old.
“I’ve kept busy doing whatever they want to do,” Carollo said of his boys. “We do a lot of family activities, spending time with my wife’s family in Mifflinburg. The older boy already has an interest in firefighting and enjoys looking at the truck whenever he gets to visit the fire station.”
Copyright 2009
The Daily Item (Sunbury, Pennsylvania)