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Community Corner

Meet Keith Cleaver, Greenawalds Fire Co. Volunteer

Volunteer firefighter Keith Cleaver has served the community with the Greenawalds Fire Co. for 23 years. He says it's gratifying to help people in their time of need.

 

Name: Keith Cleaver

Age: 58

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Lives: Chris Drive, South Whitehall

Family: Wife, Eileen; sons, Kyle, 28, and Brian, 25

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Job: Employed in the South Whitehall finance department for five years. Previously employed in the same capacity for Tyler Pipe, Macungie, for 34 years, until the plant was closed after a major fire.

Volunteer work: During 23 years as a firefighter with , he has served as company treasurer for “15 to 17 years,” and has received training in vehicle rescue, heavy vehicle rescue and what he describes as the “most fantastic" training of all: flashover.  “It’s amazing,” he says of the flashover training at the Whitehall Township training facility. "They have two overseas trailers that are hooked up, one on a higher level than the other. The fire is set on the higher level, and the trainee is on the lower level, giving him a chance to learn the characteristics of how a fire works. It’s really fantastic.

"My helmet melted during training, but it really opened my eyes about a flashover. The whole thing only lasts about 10 minutes, and it’s in a controlled environment, with the trailer insulated to handle the heat.”

Cleaver also has received firefighter training required by the National Fire Protection Association, which mandates certain courses must be completed (time wise, about 300-400 hours) to be an interior firefighter.

Why do you do it? “I enjoy helping people. That’s the way I am at work, too. During a fire, people are in a time of need, and it’s nice to help them out. It’s very gratifying,” he says. “I got into firefighting after one night when I was lying in bed at the back of the house -- my sons were very young at the time -- and they were in bedrooms at the front of the house. I got to thinking about how we would get to them if there was a fire. Shortly afterward, I stopped at Greenawalds and inquired about volunteering, and the rest is history.”

Tell us a story about an experience you’ll never forget: “One that sticks in my mind is from a motor vehicle accident during my early time with the company.  It was my first call that involved a death. Each fire company has a designated purpose: Greenawalds is the rescue company for South Whitehall. A teenager passed away in the accident and just seeing her, well, it was very trying to see a person die at such a young age.”

What would you tell people interested in joining the fire company?

“I’d tell them that it’s very gratifying. I like responding to calls. It’s like a hobby, but it’s also unique, and a learning experience. We have a great bunch of guys -- we’re like brothers -- and we all get along so well. If someone needs something, we all pitch in.

"Our two captains, Matthew Bertsch and Andrew Garger, are fantastic. They keep the training fresh and moving along. Most people think we’re a paid company, but that’s not true. They don’t know that we put in hundreds of hours, and don’t get a dime for doing it, but that’s all part of being a volunteer company. All those hours of training add up knowing what each of us is going to do when we’re fighting a fire, like knowing what your spouse will do before he or she does it.

"At my age, I’ve given up going into burning buildings, but I’m responsible for other things at the scene, like making sure our guys get the water they need to fight a fire. It’s also a great way to get to know people in the community. A lot of people may not be able to put a name to the face, but they recognize our faces when we’re out in the community.”

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