Driver firefighter’s commitment rewarded
Published 9:46 pm Saturday, March 28, 2015
Lt. Jason Davis was voted Driver Volunteer Fire Department’s 2014 Firefighter of the Year. He joined the department about five years ago, and says he enjoys volunteering with the organization.
Driver Volunteer Fire Department’s 2014 Firefighter of the Year may be only 21, but Lt. Jason Davis has been a volunteer firefighter since his junior year of high school.
That’s when he joined the volunteer department in Amherst County, where he lived with his mom and stepdad.
His mother, a fire officer now back in Amherst County, started as a volunteer with the Driver department when she was 16.
“I always wanted to do it, since I was a kid,” Davis said.
Davis joined the Driver department when he moved back to the area in 2011. He said he works 50 to 60 hours a week in customer service at Cummins Atlantic and devotes 20 to 30 hours a week to the fire department.
“I still find time for family and friends,” he said.
Davis said Driver VFD is “definitely a great place to start,” adding, “We have a lot of great people that are willing to show and teach.”
The organization, with 35 to 40 members, is looking to increase its ranks, according to Davis. “We are definitely pushing hard and trying to get more people,” he said.
New members can be as young as 16, he said, but at that age they need parental consent.
Driver VFD currently has three or four members still in school, Davis said.
“Just because they are in school doesn’t mean they can’t start learning.”
Members train at the fire station on Bennett’s Pasture Road on Wednesday evenings. Everything is done in coordination with the city’s paid firefighters, according to Davis. “They are great; they help us with anything we ask,” he said.
Davis, who was elected Firefighter of the Year by the department membership, said he loves helping the community.
“The history of the department makes it very interesting and worthwhile,” he said. “I definitely don’t want to see the history of Driver ever go away. For the city of Suffolk, it’s played a big part.”
Davis said his selection for the award is an honor. “I was happy and I felt good that I have put in all the time,” he said. “I was definitely rewarding.”
Davis invited prospective new members to send him an email: dvfde210@live.com.
