For Young Firefighter, Service is in the Blood

Nicholas Karr of Morris Plains is following in his father's footsteps in taking up volunteerism at an early age.

Karr just joined the as a junior member. His father, Jason Karr, started volunteering with the  when he was only 16, and is now serving his fourth year as a borough councilman. 

Nicholas, 15, officially joined the fire department in April. Although his age prohibits him from going inside an actual fire, he is still able to stay outside and help with all the tools necessary to put the fire out, such as the hydrant.

Junior firefighters in Morris Plains can start as young as 14, and once they're 18 they can get certification to fight the fires inside. Nicholas said he plans on staying with the fire department once he's 18, and to continue with it for a while.

According to the Morris Plains Fire Department Web site, there are 11 other junior members; Nicholas is just the most recent among the dedicated youths.

It wasn't until Nicholas was 14 that he first thought about joining. His friend's brother was in the fire department and gave him an application. Reluctant at first, he put the application on hold. A year later, he was confident and ready to serve the borough. 

"I didn't know exactly what to expect, whether I was ready or not," Nicholas said. "Once I started becoming more friendly with the firefighters I became more courageous and comfortable."

In less than a month, Nicholas has responded to two calls out of six in the borough.

He said that the junior firefighters aren't allowed to leave a call during school unless the extra manpower is requested. A freshman at , Nicholas said he tries to attend every call when he's not in school.

Nicholas said that before he was accepted he had to go through an obstacle course blindfolded, simulating a real fire situation. He also had to do a drill that invovled following his team members while searching around a room for things that would be found in a real fire, such as broken floorboards.

His interest in the fire department goes back to when he was only 10 years old. He said he always had an interest in trucks, and his father would take him on tours of the fire house and show him around the fire trucks.

Jason Karr said that when he would take his son to parades and fireworks in town when he was a little boy, they would always go early to look at the trucks and stay late to watch the trucks go by the house.

"I think he always had some sort of interest," Jason Karr said.

Jason Karr was only a year older than his son when he joined the Morris Minute Men, and he was an active member for 12 years. He's proud that his son is taking up volunteerism at a young age as well.

"I'm excited for him, and I'm proud of him," Jason Karr said. "He really took it upon himself to get the application in and do everything needed to get done."

Jason said that being a part of the Minute Men was a great experience, and that some of his friends from the group are his closest friends today. He said that he hopes his son gets to experience the same thing he did.

Patch is interested in profiling volunteers from throughout the community. Know someone who deserves a spotlight shined his or her way? Contact louis@patch.com