Volunteer Firefighting: A Family Affair
At Public Trust, we are fortunate to have such a hardworking and dedicated staff, both in the office and in their communities. Each quarter, we highlight one of our employees who is making a difference in their community through their charitable work. We are honored to highlight Steve Dixon, Director of Business Operations, for his work as a volunteer firefighter.
Steve knew exactly how he wanted to serve his community from an early age, following in the footsteps of his father who was a member of the local volunteer fire department where Steve grew up. At the age of 16, Steve began his lifelong journey as a volunteer firefighter alongside his brother and at one point even considered becoming a career firefighter. While life took him down a different career path, Steve is still actively involved in the volunteer firefighting community to this day and his work is more important than ever.
Steve sits on the Board of Fire Commissioners for the East Fishkill Fire District, a 100% volunteer fire district about one hour outside of New York City. On average, the District responds to nearly 2,500 alarms every year and protects 56 square miles of land. Steve’s Commissioner role includes financial and administrative responsibilities related to contracting, purchasing, repairs, and maintenance for the District as well as for the fire and EMS protection for the 36,000 residents of his community. He’s an active interior firefighter, a mentor of new firefighters, and even drives fire trucks! His son, Stephen Jr., is a college freshman and continues the family’s tradition of volunteer firefighting.
Of the roughly 1.2 million firefighters in the U.S., more than 67% are volunteer first responders. While the big cities and large suburban areas are staffed by career firefighters, the vast majority of our land is protected by volunteer firefighters.
