Elizabeth McMahon, Staff Writer
Margaret Patrick, Contributing Writer
Wailing sirens pierced the tranquil night sky, the red lights bouncing off of the buildings. A pack of people dash for the station, sending pebbles and dust flying into the air. They don their gear and speed to a dormitory that had set off its fire alarm by (most likely) burning popcorn.
At Sewanee, freshmen have the opportunity to try out for the Sewanee Volunteer Fire Department (SVFD). The University of the South is one of two universities in the United States that supports a student-run fire department. Many students go through this strenuous process, with the department picking a handful of them.
Out of an initial 60 candidates for the Class of 2028, only six earned their place in the department: Hogin Barker, Liam Ensign, Sam McMurry, Nathan Miller, Shepard Ramsey, and Carter Siegal. Although The Sewanee Purple is not allowed to know any details regarding the tryout process, we were allowed access to the thought processes and opinions of the recruits.
Although these recruits were not able to speak on the actual tryout process itself, they shared their thought process which had a common theme: how difficult the process was. Sam McMurry (C ’28) said, “It’s really hard. It’s very physically demanding and very mentally demanding.”
Despite the intensity, many mentioned how they said they just had to keep going. Nathan Miller (C ’28) said, “Really, just keep going. Do my absolute best and study. I wanted to make sure that whatever I gave was my absolute best, and I did everything in my power for that.”
There are many reasons why someone wants to try out for the Sewanee Volunteer Fire Department. Many seek a sense of purpose or service to others and know immediately that they want to serve in this department like Miller. Miller said, “Probably, on my visit here, when I heard about [SVFD], I thought it was super cool. And I’ve always been interested in things that are bigger than myself. And then I ended up finding out my great grandpa, who came here, was also in it. So I thought it was super cool to have history there, and maybe, like, keep the tradition going.”
Others discovered SVFD later on in their time at Sewanee, like Shepard Ramsey (C ’28), who did not know it existed until she started attending the university. She said:
“I just went into it honestly. I think when all the firefighters got on stage for orientation, that’s kind of when I was like, ‘Whoa, this sounds really cool,’ and then I really considered it during the fall. Over winter break, I was really debating, but everyone I talked to about it, was telling me I shouldn’t because I played field hockey and I think they thought it would be too much. But then afterwards, I got back, I had lunch with Meg–who’s a sophomore–and just realized that I really wanted to do it, and so I tried out. I’m so glad I did.”
Many of the new recruits are members of clubs, sport teams, and Greek Life organizations. Balancing life and the fire department is a difficult task that the recruits must learn to manage. When asked how he was balancing SVFD and outside life, Miller said, “It’s pretty hard just with the fact that it’s a lot of things, but at the end of the day, the fire department takes priority overall.”
Although some may find it overwhelming, Ramsey has embraced her heavy load balancing the fire department and field hockey. She said, “Honestly, I like to be busy and stay occupied. It’s just been really rewarding.” Hogin Barker (C ’28) shared similar remarks, saying, .“If you really are dedicated to the process and really want to be a part of the department, it’s very, very possible.”
As these recruits continue to serve on the SVFD, they have also grown closer to their older peers. The new recruits are even encouraged to sleep in the fire hall common room when on duty. Ramsey compared the fire department to her own family as she said, “I grew up living with three boys. So I’m going from living with three boys to now living with twenty-one.” Barker backed up this claim, saying, “For not even being in the department for over two weeks, it’s still a very, very tight-knit place. It’s like one big family.”
When spoken to about how the new members have been acclimating to such a different lifestyle, Meg Patrick (C ’27) attested to their smooth integration. “They really have just jumped into our everyday life,” she said, “which I know is a very big shift from their lives before. Not just choosing to spend 3 or 4 days on call and within two minutes of the department, but in fire drill when we meet, they are excited and captivated to soak everything in and give their all.”
She went on to talk about what it’s like to spend time with the department, saying that it really is a big family. She said, “As family is, we love each other and are always there for each other. But with that comes a lot of giving grief and tough love, and that is something that the freshmen have also jumped right into and we love spending time together with them.”
With four more years ahead of them in service to the Sewanee Fire Department, this group of student firefighters is already proving to be a strong and spirited addition to the team.