When most firefighters talk about what inspired them to rush headlong into danger for a living, it begins with them on their knees as a child pushing around a red metal toy fire engine and mimicking siren noises. 

But for the leader of Warren County’s volunteer fire departments, the inspiration was jumpstarted later in life and with much more danger.

In 1996, current Warren County Fire Service Coordinator Jerry Briggs’ kitchen caught fire. The young Briggs didn’t know what to do. He ran outside with a burning pan, spreading fire though his kitchen and yard before calling 911.

“I had no idea about fire services. I didn’t know how it worked, but I knew my house was on fire,” Briggs said. “Most people only know they call 911 and expect somebody to be there.”

Soon, Briggs remembers, a small truck with flashing red lights pulled up, and Culkin volunteer firefighter Chuck Tate rushed in with a fire extinguisher to put out the blaze.

Briggs thought it was one of the most amazing things he had ever seen.

“That inspired me to want to do the same thing. I thought it was the neatest thing,” Briggs said.

A few days later, Briggs drove up to the Culkin fire station and asked about joining the department.

“He’s been an adrenaline junky ever since,” said Tate, a longtime Culkin firefighter and retired Corps of Engineers employee who is now interim director of E-911.

After Briggs joined the department, he was eager to immerse himself in the fire service, Tate said.

“He came in, got going, got busy and learned a lot of things,” Tate said. “Jerry’s one of those guys we got started at a young age and basically raised in the fire service.”

Briggs credits his volunteer service as helping him become a better person by learning leadership training.

Briggs eventually became chief of Culkin volunteer fire department, and in 2012 the Board of Supervisors hired him as fire service coordinator after the retirement of Kelly Worthy.

It’s been challenging but rewarding, Briggs said.

“I went from chief of Culkin and managing that little world to 13 pumper trucks, eight brush trucks, two tankers and 92 volunteers,” he said.

As fire service coordinator, Briggs is the liaison between the county’s six fire departments and the board of supervisors.  He also seeks out grant funding for equipment and vehicles.

Fisher Ferry Volunteer Fire Department purchased new truck in December and hopes to add another truck soon, Briggs said. Culkin VFD is also looking at new tanker truck and is considering expanding their fire station, he said.