Fighting fires for more than four decades
Communicator David Snyder serves as volunteer firefighter

David Snyder has been a volunteer firefighter for practically his whole life – 42 years, to be exact.  During that long tenure, he has learned more than a thing or two about fires and perhaps more importantly, about life.

“I joined the Springfield Volunteer Fire Department in 1965 when I was 18 years old,” David said.  “My dad was a founding member of the station in 1945, so I just grew up around firefighters.”

When David was growing up, Mahoning County had no 9-1-1 services, so his dad took emergency calls directly out of their home.  He would then dash out of the house and go to the fire station, where he would trip the alarm, pull the fire truck out and wait for the rest of the guys to get in their gear and come out. 

During his first year, David saw little of the dangerous side of being a firefighter.  As a rookie, he described himself as a “gopher” – the other guys would make him “go-for” this and that.  His first fire was a grass fire, which he said was easy to put out.

At home in Springfield doing what seemed most natural for him to do, David couldn’t have been more content.  But the world outside had different plans for him.

“In early ’66, I got notice to take the Army physical,” David recalled.  “I got the news that I was 1-A, which means I was prime to be drafted.  I didn’t want to get drafted so I joined the Air Force.”

David narrowly missed going to Vietnam, but he did serve in the South Pacific before being sent to Washington, D.C, where he served until he was honorably discharged in 1970.  When he got back home, he immediately rejoined the volunteer fire department and this time around he saw real action.

“For one thing, fighting fires is nothing like how they show it on TV and in movies,” he said.  “It’s so full of smoke that you have to crawl on the floor and feel around to search for victims.”

In those early days, David responded to almost every fire call that came in.  In 1972, he started riding with the Emergency Medical Service (EMS) as well.  He recalls one of the toughest fires he ever fought.

“It was a former creamery that had been converted into an industrial plant,” he said.  “It caught fire but there were no hydrants around.  So we had to bring in tankards filled with water from 10 surrounding departments.  It took us most of the night – the fire kept flaring up just when we thought it was out – but we finally found the source and put it out.”

With the fire department and EMS, David learned to cope with tragedy.  He said he will never forget the worst call he ever went on – a 12-year-old boy who had hung himself.  He performed CPR at the house and all the way to the hospital, but the boy was lost.  He admits that he’s seen a lot of sadness, but he has also seen hope in the face of tragedy.

“The best feeling is knowing you have saved someone’s life,” he said.  “This one time, I was eating dinner with a friend and he collapsed.  I did CPR and brought him back within a minute.”

In 1997, after 32 years as a firefighter David decided he needed more time to be with his fiancé, who was terminally ill with cancer.  For the next four years, he devoted himself to her until she tragically lost her battle with the disease.

After his fiancé had passed away, David found himself wanting a way to keep busy.  So he went back to the most natural and comfortable place he could think of – the Springfield Volunteer Fire Department.  He also started volunteering for Hospice of the Valley.

“It’s tough when you know someone’s dying,” he said.  “But after going through it myself, I know that caregivers sometimes need a break.  So I’ll sit with the patients and give the caregiver a chance to get out of the house.”

In 2005, David added yet another item to his plate – his career at InfoCision.

“I think this is a great job and a great company to work for,” said David, who is a Communicator at Boardman Volunteer Recruitment East.  “I enjoy talking to different people all over the country.”

At the age of 60, David says he has no plans to retire.  He’d like to continue fighting fires for at least another eight years, because he likes the idea of having been with the department for 50 years.  Now that he’s a little older, he said he leaves it to the younger firefighters to run into the burning buildings.  He helps out at the fires on the truck and also serves as a fire safety instructor in town.

“Even after all these years, I still get that adrenaline rush,” he said.  “You never know when a call is going to come in and you never know what a call could bring.  The biggest thing I’ve learned is just to be careful.”