Volunteer Firefighting with the Dunnstown Volunteer Fire Company, PA

The Dunnstown Volunteer Fire Company runs on people who show up. It has about 14 volunteers covering Woodward and Colebrook townships out of a station at 119 Woodward Avenue, and it has done that work since 1949. Some of those volunteers ride the trucks. Others never do, and the company needs both. If you have thought about pitching in, here is what the roles actually involve and how to start.

What does the Dunnstown Volunteer Fire Company do?

The company is the local fire service for Woodward and Colebrook townships, staffed entirely by volunteers rather than paid crews. Founded in 1949, it responds to fires and related emergencies in its coverage area and keeps its apparatus and station ready between calls. That last part matters. A working fire company is a year-round operation, not just the moments the pager goes off.

Being a small company means each person carries more of the load. With roughly 14 volunteers, there is no deep bench to fall back on, so a new member tends to make a real difference quickly. The same size is why the company splits the work into two tracks: people trained to respond, and people who keep the organization running behind them.

What roles can I volunteer for?

Two kinds, and you do not have to pick the harder one to be useful. Response roles put you on the apparatus and require training the company provides. Support roles handle fundraising, records, and logistics, and need no experience to start. Both keep the company operating, and the support side is often what lets the trained responders spend their time on calls.

Support work covers the parts of a fire company people rarely picture. Someone organizes the fundraisers that pay for equipment. Someone keeps the records straight. Someone handles the logistics of running a station and a fleet. None of that requires you to enter a burning building, and all of it is genuinely needed. If you can keep a spreadsheet, plan an event, or lend an afternoon, there is a spot.

Response roles are the trained side. You do not need prior experience to begin, because the company provides the training for those positions. What you bring is the time and the willingness to commit to it. That is true across a lot of the volunteer opportunities in Dunnstown, where the ask is steadiness rather than a resume.

How does a 14-person company pay for a new fire truck?

Slowly, and with help from the whole township. In December 2021, The Express reported that the company had committed to a new fire truck priced just below $820,000, down from an early estimate of $850,000. The company financed the purchase itself with a low-interest loan through Pennsylvania's Volunteer Loan Assistance Program, a state program that makes low-interest loans to volunteer companies. Woodward Township helped on its end: supervisors approved a fire tax expected to bring in about $138,000 a year and put $100,000 toward the truck as a down payment. The loan itself, though, belongs to the fire company.

Mike Fetzer, a longtime company volunteer who was serving as president and deputy chief at the time, told the paper the core problem was that a company this size cannot run enough large fundraisers to buy new apparatus on its own. "We can't belly up to pay for aging apparatus without support," he said. You can see what that means in practice every week. The company holds a cash bingo at the station each Monday night starting at 6 p.m., and the proceeds go toward the company's needs. It is a small stream of money, but it runs every week, and it is one of the ways a company with no paid staff keeps up with bills of that size.

Do I need experience or training to start?

No. You can start as a support member with no experience at all, handling fundraising, records, or logistics from day one. For response roles, the company provides the training itself, so you are not expected to arrive already certified. What the company counts on is that you show up and stay with it once you commit.

That low bar to entry is deliberate, and there is a statewide story behind it. Pennsylvania had around 300,000 volunteer firefighters in the 1970s. A state commission that studied the fire service in 2018 counted fewer than 38,000. Every volunteer company in the state now recruits from a much smaller pool, so a company like Dunnstown's cannot afford to turn away willing people over a lack of credentials. It meets new members where they are, trains its own, and makes room for members who will never ride a truck. If you are weighing this against other ways of volunteering across Clinton County, the fire company is one of the more welcoming front doors, precisely because of that.

How do I get involved with the Dunnstown Volunteer Fire Company?

Contact the company directly. Volunteer Clinton County is a free directory, so we point you to the organization and you take it from there. Reach out to the Dunnstown Volunteer Fire Company at its station on Woodward Avenue, say whether you are leaning toward a response or a support role, and let them walk you through the next step and any training.

If a cold call feels like too much, the Monday bingo is a natural first visit. It is open to the public, it starts at 6 p.m. at the station, and buying a few cards supports the company whether or not you ever join. You can see the building and ask your questions in person.

We do not sit in the middle of that conversation or place you ourselves. The directory exists to help you find the right group and make the first contact, and it always will without any fee. If the fire company is not quite the fit, you can browse every Clinton County organization or check current openings to see what else is looking for help right now. For more on the town and its groups, read our full Dunnstown volunteering guide.

Where does Dunnstown fit in Clinton County?

Dunnstown sits along the West Branch Susquehanna River, across the water from the county seat of Lock Haven. It is a census-designated place in Woodward Township, home to 1,464 people at the 2020 census. That number puts the fire company's reach in perspective: those 14 or so volunteers cover Woodward and Colebrook townships, the rural stretch on that side of the river. It is close enough to Lock Haven and neighboring Castanea that the whole area functions as one small community, which is part of why a company that size can cover the ground it does.

That geography shapes the work. A volunteer company in a rural township leans on residents who know the roads and the neighbors, which is another reason local people signing up matters so much. You do not need to be from Dunnstown to help, but if you are nearby, you already have something useful to offer.

Frequently asked questions

How many volunteers does the Dunnstown Volunteer Fire Company have?

About 14. It is a small volunteer company covering Woodward and Colebrook townships from its station at 119 Woodward Avenue, and it has operated since 1949. Because the roster is small, a single new member makes a noticeable difference, whether they join a response role or take on support work like fundraising and records.

Can I help without becoming a firefighter?

Yes. The company relies on support members who handle fundraising, records, and logistics, and those roles need no experience to start. You can contribute steadily without ever riding the apparatus or entering an emergency scene. That support work is what keeps the company running, helps pay for its trucks, and frees the trained responders to focus on calls.

Does the company provide firefighter training?

Yes. You do not need prior experience or certification to take on a response role, because the Dunnstown Volunteer Fire Company provides the training for those positions. What you bring is the time and the commitment. Contact the company directly through the station on Woodward Avenue to ask about starting and what the training involves.

Can I see the station before I decide to join?

Yes. The company holds a public cash bingo at the station at 119 Woodward Avenue every Monday night, starting at 6 p.m., and the proceeds support the company. Going to one is a low-pressure way to visit, put a few dollars toward the trucks, and talk with people involved before you commit to anything.