Celebrating Our Heroes: Volunteer Firefighters and the Red Cross
- NEIA Red Cross
- 4 minutes ago
- 4 min read
By Ashley Peterson-DeLuca
Did you know? Sixty-five percent of firefighters are volunteers, according to the National Volunteer Fire Council. And you might find a few of them are also Red Cross volunteers and staff.
During Fire Prevention Week, Nebraska-Iowa Region Red Cross community members with experience as volunteer firefighters share just how much of an overlap there is between these two roles—and how powerful it can be when they create a bridge between their fire departments and the Red Cross.
Meet Peter, who uses his decades of disaster response experience
Peter Teahen has been a Red Cross volunteer for 30 years. When he moved from Cedar Rapids to the smaller community of Robins in 2020, he knew he wanted to get more involved locally. After suggestions from others, Peter became a member of the all-volunteer Robins, Iowa Fire Department at the age of 68—and so did his wife, Janet. Together, they returned to school and earned their Firefighter 1 and EMT certifications.
Peter has found that his decades of experience as a Red Cross disaster responder are a valuable resource as a volunteer firefighter.
“We do a lot of fire prevention and education work. We go to schools, care centers and churches to provide fire safety training. We teach the same things we do in the Red Cross,” says Teahen. As firefighters, they reinforce the need for working smoke alarms and for having a fire escape plan.
When he’s deployed to a house fire, he uses his background to comfort families.
“In an emergency, people are just scared and want help,” says Teahen. “A lot of the time, I take care of the families using my training from the Red Cross and my career as a funeral director. It’s in my blood now.”
When Peter is deployed for the Red Cross in response to a disaster, he is also able to pull on his experience as a firefighter.
“With my role in disasters, when I come face to face with a fire chief, they trust me automatically because I’ve been in the trenches and they know I understand what they’re doing,” says Peter.
Meet Chrissy, the fire prevention crusader
Chrissy Bristle realized just how big the need was for volunteer firefighters while working in disaster services for the Red Cross.
“I worked a lot with fire departments. Every fire department, especially in rural areas, had a consistent need for people. It sparked my interest in volunteering as a firefighter,” says Bristle.
Bristle saw the overlap with the Red Cross on her first day of training as a firefighter.
She says, “Chapter one of the Firefighter 1 manual focused on being involved in the community and connecting people to resources. The Red Cross was listed as a service firefighters should lean into.”
After earning her certification as a Firefighter 1 and an EMT, she served as a volunteer firefighter for Polk City for seven years. She responded to many medical emergencies, a few home fires and even fires on farms. One time, the department was called out when a storage barn full of hay bales went up in flames.
“People think that not much happens in a small town. I was surprised that there was more activity than I realized,” says Bristle.
After seeing the aftermath of home fires, every week is Fire Prevention Week for Bristle. She hasn’t just ensured her home’s smoke and CO2 detectors are working, but her children know the safe route to escape the house in case of fire. When visiting friends and family, she holds a private Sound the Alarm event, helping them get their detectors into working order.
“Fire departments don’t just protect life, assets and the safety of firefighters in an emergency; they also have a responsibility for prevention, just like the Red Cross,” says Bristle.
Meet Amanda, who provides essential medical services in rural areas
Amanda Wehnes lives in a small community in rural Nebraska. The region she serves covers two-thirds of Nebraska and one-quarter of eastern Colorado. Often, the nearest hospital is 20 minutes away, and the nearest Walmart is a 45-minute drive.
Because Amanda has worked for the Red Cross, running blood drives for over a decade, she has crisscrossed these hundreds of miles many times. She knows this region well.
“It’s beautiful country,” says Wehnes. “The people are amazing, very generous and very giving.”
Wehnes volunteered for Red Cross Sound the Alarm events, helping install smoke alarms in homes. She found it rewarding and looked into doing more as a volunteer firefighter, but was intimidated at first.
“I knew nothing about fires or medical stuff,” she says. “However, a friend told me, ‘None of us knew anything about fire at first. We just showed up and learned.’”
Wehnes isn’t afraid of learning. She earned her EMT certification, graduating at the top of her class. She loves chemistry and is excited to take a hazmat health and safety class next.
She advises: “As long as you have the heart to serve and the willingness to learn, a volunteer firefighter crew will love to have you.”
Wehnes experienced just how useful her knowledge of Red Cross services is when she was doing her job for the Red Cross by running a blood drive in her hometown of Arnold, NE. She got a call from the fire chief. A family with two children had experienced a fire in their home.
Wehnes recalls that the first thing the fire chief said was, “’Hey, I know you’re at work, but we really need Red Cross support.’” She was able to connect him with the right people who could provide essential services.
Arnold is home to about 700 people. Wehnes states that, “Everyone knows everyone.” She later learned that the two children were at school, being taught by her husband, when the fire started.
Firefighters like Wehnes, Bristle and Teahen are a vital part of our communities. Their bravery and dedication help keep us safe, whether it is a medical emergency or a home fire.
Like them, you can take steps to prepare in the case of a home fire. Click here to learn how you can keep you and your loved ones safe when it comes to home fires.