Bethel Park High School seniors Bryan McGuire and Dominic Ollio are putting classroom skills to work by helping expand the Bethel Park Volunteer Fire Company's social media presence as part of a DECA competition project.
Since the fall, the students have managed the department’s Facebook and Instagram accounts as part of their Project Management Business Solutions entry, which they will present at the Pennsylvania DECA Career Development Conference scheduled for Feb. 18–20 in Hershey. About 70 additional Bethel Park High School students will attend the conference to present written papers and projects at various competitive events.
The project’s goals are twofold: increase volunteer membership and strengthen fundraising efforts by raising awareness that the fire company is entirely self-funded and staffed exclusively by volunteers. Ollio said he was surprised to learn it costs about $10,000 to equip a single firefighter, not including expenses such as station utilities, maintenance, apparatus upkeep, and vehicle purchases.
“A strong volunteer fire department is an essential part of any community’s safety initiatives but is very expensive to properly maintain and equip,” Ollio said. “We believe that improving their social media reach would help remind people of the essential role they play in our community and ways Bethel Park residents can help ensure they continue to function for years to come.”
To help recruit younger members, the campaign highlighted educational and training opportunities available to volunteers. McGuire pointed to programs offered through the Community College of Allegheny County’s Public Safety Institute, including entry-level firefighter certifications, Fire Science and Emergency Services degrees, and specialized rescue training. He also noted the FireVEST scholarship, which provides free education in exchange for a five-year volunteer service commitment in Allegheny County.
“If you are looking to continue your education but not quite sure what you want to do, this is a very attractive option,” McGuire said.
The students meet weekly with fire company leaders to brainstorm ideas and review content. The results have been significant. When the project began, the department’s Facebook page had about 380,000 total views. In roughly four months, that number grew to more than 1.6 million views, with the page gaining about 1,300 new followers. Instagram views also increased by more than 177 percent during that period.
McGuire and Ollio said they were given considerable creative freedom and focused on balancing lighter, engaging content — such as a holiday-themed “12 Days of Christmas” series and silly member interviews — with more substantive posts on safety, health initiatives, and home fire prevention.
“We have kept an eye on what other departments have done, and if we see a good idea or something that could work for us, we repurpose parts of it for our needs and add our own spin,” Ollio said. “We have received a lot of positive feedback.”
The students said they were mindful of respecting firefighters’ time and preferences.
“These are grown men and women, many with full-time jobs, who spend hours of their free time serving the community,” McGuire said. “The last thing they want to do after a long day is a silly dance or jokes on camera.”
In addition to online outreach, the students recently organized a fundraiser through The Bean, the school’s student café, raising $117 for the fire company.
They also sought to challenge misconceptions about who can serve as a volunteer firefighter. McGuire and Ollio said the Bethel Park Volunteer Fire Company includes men and women aged 19 to their mid-60s.
“It’s people from all walks of life,” McGuire said. “I know some people are concerned that they won’t fit in, but everyone is welcome there.”
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