One of the biggest rewards of being a firefighter is helping people.
That’s what Father Jim Corl, a retired Episcopalian priest and 40-year veteran firefighter said, about being a volunteer.
“There’s nothing more satisfying than doing a job that really helps somebody,” Corl said. “When a crisis happens, somebody is home, even if it doesn’t develop into something significant, it’s significant for them. So just showing up and taking control of that situation and resolving it for them, there’s just a lot of satisfaction.”
Corl, 68, has served the Manlius community since 2001. His first 30 years he served at a fire department in Broome County, located west of Binghamton.
Corl was an interior firefighter until five years ago when he “retired the mask.” He’s also been department chaplain, lieutenant, fire company president, operator/driver, scene support (preparing gear) and counselor. One of his chiefs would often ask him to walk families through their wrecked houses after a devastating fire.
“My chief wanted to make sure there was a compassionate presence with that family,” he said. “It isn’t just physical stuff. For most people, it’s memories.”
Throughout his 40 years, Corl estimates that he has run about 8,000 calls and has volunteered about 25,000 hours. Incidents have ranged from false alarms to factory fires, and from trash can fires to five buildings burning. He’s been injured twice in his volunteer fire career, though not badly.
Corl said he could spend hours talking about his experiences. While some of his stories have a humorous side, many are tragic. Corl was about 20 yards away from Manlius firefighters John Ginocchetti and Timothy Lynch when they were killed in a 2002 blaze.
“That was the toughest call I was ever on,” he said. “That was hard on everybody here.”
Corl described the Manlius Fire Department as comprised of hardworking, talented individuals; volunteers range from students to business professionals to physicians. An ideal candidate, he said, is somebody who cares about the community.
“Somebody who cares about people … who is willing to work hard and to put in the hours,” Corl said. “Somebody who’s dependable; when they make a commitment they stick with it. Somebody who can relate well to other people … There’s a job for everybody.”
“I’m a volunteer,” he added. “I don’t get paid, but I do get paid. I get paid by the ability to participate and by people being grateful for what I’m doing and the friendships and relationships … that’s my paycheck.”
If you’re interested in learning more about volunteer opportunities with the Manlius Fire Department (manliusfire.com), you can meet current members between 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday May 28 at the Nice & Easy in Manlius as part of the department’s recruitment drive.
