Sirens for Service: Shippensburg firefighter aided animal rescue during house fire

It’s no secret that the job of a first responder is anything but easy.

Taking calls can mean long hours, time away from family and PTSD. But every day hundreds of men and women in Cumberland County answer those calls.

Every week, The Sentinel’s Sirens for Service feature will aim to show the faces of these people and share their stories.

The series focuses on why they became a first responder and highlights a specific call from their service that influenced them and reminds them of why they do what they do.

Mitchell Brett

Agency: Vigilant Hose Company #1

Title: Live-in firefighter, EMT

Time with company: Two years

Q: Why did you become a first responder?

A: I’m following in my dad’s footsteps. My dad was a firefighter and he works as a paramedic, so I was always around the firehouse growing up. So when I was old enough to join as a volunteer, that’s what I did.

Q: Can you describe

a call that has influenced you? What did that call look like and why did it impact you?

A: Last year, we had a house fire here in our first due, and there were a lot of animals in the house, and I remember we were able to save a lot of the animals.

I remember how grateful the homeowner was about that, so it was nice to know that we were able to make a difference in that person’s life.