Probationary firefighter Jonathan Kim first volunteered for fire service in his hometown of Wexford, just north of Pittsburgh, and actually “scouted” the Alpha Volunteer Fire Company when he was in the process of visiting colleges.  Alpha stood out as a place he really wanted to join—and the rest is history. And his future.

About Jonathan Kim: Probationary Firefighter (as of 2019) Education: PSU Student Certifications: Firefighter 1, Engine PERT Current Job: Full Time Mechanical Engineering Student at Penn State Alpha Since: 2018 Tell us a little about you, where you’re from, your family. I’m originally from just north of Pittsburgh and I first volunteered at the Wexford Volunteer  Fire Company there before joining Alpha here.  And here, I live at the College Township station.  Oddly enough, my grandfather was a volunteer firefighter for a short period of time but I didn’t learn this until after I joined back home. Why did you become an Alpha? Alpha is definitely a fire department that is known—well known—throughout the area. I knew that I wanted to be a part of a fire department when I went to college, and this was definitely a place that stood out to me. What is your “day job?” I am a full time student at Penn State studying Mechanical Engineering.  I just accepted a co-op position with MSA, a manufacturer of SCBA (breathing apparatus) equipment—the air packs we use.  In spring of 2019, I’ll be working on designing those air packs! What do you like best about firefighting, the community, the company, and actually being an Alpha Volunteer? The ability to help people, and help them in aspects of their life, and my life.  A lot of the time we see people on their worst day, and I like to help people make that worst day a little bit better, and help them get through that.  We have a great support network here; like a family, we all have each other’s back. What one piece of advice would you have for someone thinking about becoming an Alpha?Definitely come down, do a ride along, hang out a little, attend a training event, see what we’re all about.  One thing to remember, you can still do a lot even if you come in without previous training.  Within your first week or two here you can start riding along on calls as you’re checked off on certain skills. What one thing would you like people to know about the Alphas and about volunteer firefighting they might not understand? The training that we go through prepares us for the situations we face. It’s hardcore. As a live-in, being here all the time, I definitely get that sense of family you hear about all the time.  I go home at the end of the night and am hanging out with the same four guys every day.  We watch movies, bake cookies, hang out…it’s definitely a family… and we share some of the worst days together, we share a greater bond and know we can rely on one another. This is something I’m gonna stick with, no matter what. Quick Sparks—Jonathan’s Favorite … Movie:  Anything Will Ferrell Book:  “Lone Survivor“by Marcus Luttrell  Color:  Blue or Red Food:  Barbecue ribs Equipment:  All of it. Season:  Spring or the Fall—not too warm, not too cold Hobby:  Member of the Penn State Floor Hockey Club Teams:  Penguins and Steelers