Senior Evan Lundy  is a notable local known  for his involvement in the Tri-County Volunteer Fire Company, Independence First Aid Squad, Lebanon Township Fire Department and the Whitehouse Rescue Squad, where he is a paid Firefighter and Emergency Medical Technician (EMT).

But how did he first get involved in saving lives?

“I had to reach out to my local First Aid/Rescue Squad and put an application in,” he said. “Then I had to do a brief interview and  do the paperwork needed to join the squad. Once those steps were done, I was ready to start riding shifts on the ambulance.” 

Ultimately, Lundy  was able to turn the volunteer work into an after-school job as well. 

“I made a commitment with them to stay for two years, since they were paying for my classes, but once I finished those two years of classes, I had more experience working as a volunteer and was able to become a paid employee,” he said. 

Lundy, who  started volunteering as a sophomore, said he has learned more than he ever expected.

“It has taught me a lot about commitment and doing something that I need to keep up with,” he said. “It is a lot of hard work, training and time. When there is a situation, or someone is being emotional, I have learned  that’s when I need to hammer down, stay professional and do what I have to do.”

Because Lundy is usually on call for a 6:00  p.m. to 6:00 a.m. shift, he said it can sometimes interfere with school.

“It sucks having to get up in the morning for school after getting a call overnight or if I get a call right at six [in the morning] and I am late to school because of it,” he said. “Overall, though, I am able to balance both well.” 

After high school, Lundy has various options.

“At the moment, I plan on pursuing a career in the medical field and working as a career EMT,” he said. “There are not many places in the area that are very busy, so I will have to look more into nearby cities, where I would have better chances of getting a full-time job with a good-paying salary.”

 Work is work as most say, but Lundy’s situation is different from most. 

“Being able to go on fire and EMS calls as well as helping people out is very fun for me and makes me feel more mature and less like a high schooler,” he said.  “I also have been able to build many relationships with people, both friendly and professional even more than I have in school.” 

Lundy had some words of advice for anyone who is thinking about becoming an EMT or firefighter. 

“I would say go for it,” he said, “whether you want to make a career out of it, or just volunteer a couple of times a month. You gain valuable experience that will forever help you in life.”