Roderick McCord Fancher, known as “McCord” to fellow Fairmount Fire Company volunteers, currently serves as an active firefighter and the fire company’s lieutenant. It’s been roughly 4 years since McCord started at Fairmount but he’s been volunteering as a firefighter in Montgomery County since 2010.
“I moved back in with my parents after college and started applying for police jobs,” said McCord. “One of the officers suggested volunteering as a way to get experience on emergency scenes.”
The thought of running into a burning building can be scary to most people but Montgomery County fire companies provide all the training and gear necessary to safely respond to emergency calls. Volunteers receive state-of-the-art training from the Montgomery County Fire Academy at no cost to them.
“We do it in the safest way possible,” said McCord. “You’ve got your team with you and it’s like a family. We keep each other safe.”
On top of his second family at the fire company, McCord is a father of two children and works a full-time job as a prosecutor.
“The fire company expects you to be there when you are available, but they understand family comes first and this is a volunteer position,” said McCord.
McCord makes sure he is available for fire company trainings on Thursday nights and responds to fire calls as often as possible on week nights and weekends. He finds the experience rewarding and tries to make as much time as possible for firefighting.
“I’ve had a lot of jobs and done a lot of things in my life, but volunteering as a firefighter is by far the most rewarding, exciting and best thing I’ve ever done,” said McCord.
To give back to your community in a meaningful way, learn life saving skills and make long lasting friendships, volunteer with your local fire company in Montgomery County. Get started by visiting www.montcofirefighters.org and filling out an inquiry form.
