Bucktail Fire Department, Driftwood, PA

I don't know much about the Bucktail Volunteer Fire Department, so I did what I do best, I Googled. But Google does you no good when it comes to a small town fire department out in the sticks of north central PA. Heck, I didn't even have cell service here. Driftwood sets at the intersection of Route 120 and Route 555 in Cameron County. I did find out Googling, that they recently merged with the Sinnemahoning Volunteer Fire Department. I looked in the windows last weekend and the trucks are still parked here but with all the grass growing in front of the doors I don't think they have been outside in a while. I've read that the SVFD station will be expanded to house the old BVFD equipment. Volunteer fire departments nationwide are having trouble filling their boots. It used to be you caught a kid when he was young, you kept him interested and motivated and he was here to stay or at least until he discovered girls or cars. These days, though, there are too many distractions, kids have better things to do, nobody wants to make the commitment required to train and raise money. These days a new firefighter trains for 6 months to a year before he even gets to fight fire. And this training isn't free. Some departments are blessed with municipal funding but in remote areas like Driftwood they barely have enough to keep the roads plowed in the winter. So next time you see your local volunteers out fundraising help them out every little bit helps. To the Bucktail's and Sinnemahoning I raise my glass to you for a long and prosperous union. And, hey, lets be safe out there and see that Everyone Goes Home.