The process was fairly simple, there was no nerve-racking interview or impossible test to pass. All they needed to do was list the basic tools and items on the trucks in order to prove they would be useful on the scene. In Marine, the job of a firefighter is not what one would typically expect.

"It’s Marine, not much happens," say all three boys. In the two months they have been volunteer firefighters, there have only been two calls and one was a false alarm. "When I went on the first call, which was a false alarm, it was very exciting until we found out there wasn’t anything wrong;" said Miller. Although it is ironic, he was disappointed nothing was wrong; when preparing to be a hero it can be a bit of a let down.

The main reason Skamser, Hollerbach and Miller got involved was because they wanted to give back to their community. They knew the squad needed more help and they were willing to be of assistance.

"I have always thought it would be cool to be on the department and I know that it is hard for them to find volunteers. I am friends with some of the older guys on the department and they encouraged me to join," said Miller.

Firefighters are always on call, but because of the uncertainty of a fire, a schedule is formed so that the volunteers know when they should be prepared. It is still recommended that all fighters who are able to be at the scene of the fire go to assure that the process goes smoothly.

"We are on call so we go if there is a call and we try to go the first two Mondays of the month for training and inspections," said Hollerbach.

Balancing being a hero and a high school student can be difficult at times. For Skamser, not only does he have school and an on call schedule to keep track of, he has a job as well. Skamser said, "I think it would be easier if I was only volunteering, but working at my job and volunteering, with school gets to be hectic."

At such a young age Miller, Hollerbach and Skamser are learning lessons about courage, determination, time management and giving back that will benefit then for the rest of their lives. Whether or not they continue firefighting past high school cannot be determined, but one thing is for sure, they have gained so much from the past two months on the squad and for that they are all grateful.