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mexico cockfighting Anunoby Off To A Career StartVanna White's son, Nikko Santo Pietro, is getting a kick out of the fact that he's become a "heartthrob" to "Wheel of Fortune” fans. Just days after Santo Pietro caused a commotion by appearing alongside White in a cooking video , the 30-year-old real estate agent told "Entertainment Tonight" he found the attention "flattering." “Obviously, I’ve had an outpour from her fans just really being kind and saying all kinds of interesting stuff in the comments,” Santo Pietro said during a joint interview with White. Santo Pietro, whose dad is White's ex-husband, George San to Pietro , said navigating the attention was all in a day's work for him. "I always loved being in front of the camera. I work really hard on my social media. That's a big part of what I do. So it feels natural and good," he said. "A lot of it, too, (is) people see me as this heartthrob and they're thirsty for me and all this stuff ... I love it all," he continued. "But at the same time it's really good to remember the meaningful things in life and to just kind of dial it back and doing a lot of charity work, working hard every day." When "ET" wondered if any of White's fans should try shooting their shot with him, Santo Pietro revealed he's been dating singer-songwriter Easae for a year. "She obviously detected the heartthrob thing before America did," he joked. Santo Pietro's remarks come a few days after he appeared in a tight white T-shirt and blue jeans alongside White in a cooking video on their Instagram pages that coincided with "Fabulous Food Week" on "Wheel of Fortune." Many of White's fans appeared to focus more on Santo Pietro's looks than the chicken dish he was preparing. “Vanna where have you been hiding Nikko? He’s GORGEOUS,” wrote one person. One of White's fans worked in a "Wheel of Fortune" joke while reacting to the video, writing, “My next three letters are H-O-T!”By Khari A. Thompson Derrick White sat at the podium with the hood of his black Celtics sweatshirt on his head. He rubbed his forehead as he was asked about Boston’s lack of defensive intensity in it’s 123-114 loss to Indiana Sunday night. The loss concluded a rough December for the defending NBA champions. After winning 16 of their first 19 games, the Celtics began to backslide and finished the month 7-6. They’ve lost four of their last six games, three of them against teams that are at eighth place or lower in the conference standings. Boston let Tyrese Haliburton (31 points, 7 assists, 11-19 shooting) slash into the paint and carve up its defense like a holiday ham. The Pacers, whom the Celtics demolished by 37 points on Friday night, earned a taste of revenge on their way back to the Midwest. “I think this might be the toughest stretch that I’ve been on since I’ve been here with the Celtics. It’s just going going to bring us closer together,” White said. “You’ve just got to know that everybody’s got their best interests in mind and just have each other’s back. It’s going to bring us closer. There’s ups-and-downs in every season, so it’s one of those downs and we’ve got to figure it out together.” The Celtics traded for White in February of 2022. They lost five out of six during mid-December in 2023, dropping contests against Golden State, the Clippers, the Pacers, and two against Orlando. They also lost four out of five that March. But, White’s point is still clear. These stretches don’t happen often for the Celtics. They didn’t see anything like it last year, and they have to figure out how to stop the slide. The competition will only get tougher next week. After a New Year’s Eve tilt with the struggling Raptors, the Celtics will hit the road to take on Anthony Edwards and the Timberwolves.Then, they’ll travel to Houston and Oklahoma City, who are both top-3 in the West right now. The road trip concludes with a tilt against three-time MVP Nikola Jokic and the Nuggets. “I’m actually really excited about it,” Celtics coach Joe Mazzulla said of the upcoming stretch. “It’s going to be fun. It’s going to be great.” Defensive issues have been at the forefront, particularly with point guards who are adept at getting into the lane. Ja Morant dropped 32 on the Celtics in a win earlier this month. Tyrese Maxey torched Celtics on Christmas Day, posting 32 points and 12 assists against three turnovers. Haliburton was just the latest guard the Celtics struggled to stay in front of. “We just have to pay attention to the tendencies, No. 1,” Mazzulla said. “And we have to know where we can help from No. 2 and force more kick outs and more multiple efforts there. But, it starts at the point of attack with our individual defense and it moves to our team defense off the ball where we can help.” Playing without Jrue Holiday and Kristaps Porzingis certainly didn’t help, but it’s not an excuse considering how Boston handled Indiana in the previous game. “I think communicating,” Jaylen Brown said. “Tendencies are one thing, but it’s a lot different when you’re out there and they’re coming at you full-speed, especially a team like Indiana. I think we’ve got to be more alert and comunicative to help each other. It seems like they got a lot of layups because we weren’t recognizing where we could help from.” “They didn’t shoot a lot of threes, so that means that they shouldn’t have gotten that many layups,” he added. “We could have protected the basket a little bit better and we didn’t tonight. But, I think we see it. Recognizing where we could be better and and build from there. We’ve got a tough stretch coming.” Last week, Mazzulla said the Celtics were playing inconsistent basketball. The trend has continued, especially on defense. “We’ve just got to do a better job,” Mazzulla said. “We’ve got to do a better job coaching defense, we’ve got to do a better job in our individual defense, we’ve got to do a better job in our team defense.” White said he is not concerned about this Celtics group, which is just a game in front of the third-place Knicks. “Just trust the character in the locker room,” White said. “I know the type of guys that are in that locker room and those are the type of guys that I want to go to war with. So, I’m confident in that.” Khari A. Thompson Khari Thompson covers professional sports for Boston.com. Before joining the team in 2022, Khari covered college football for The Clarion Ledger in Jackson, Miss. Sign up for Celtics updates🏀 Get breaking news and analysis delivered to your inbox during basketball season. Be civil. Be kind.

The team that President-elect Donald Trump has selected to lead federal health agencies in his second administration includes a retired congressman, a surgeon and a former talk-show host. All could play pivotal roles in fulfilling a political agenda that could change how the government goes about safeguarding Americans' health — from health care and medicines to food safety and science research. In line to lead the Department of Health and Human Services secretary is environmental lawyer and anti-vaccine organizer Robert F. Kennedy Jr. Trump's choices don't have experience running large bureaucratic agencies, but they know how to talk about health on TV . Centers for Medicare and Medicaid pick Dr. Mehmet Oz hosted a talk show for 13 years and is a well-known wellness and lifestyle influencer. The pick for the Food and Drug Administration, Dr. Marty Makary, and for surgeon general, Dr. Janette Nesheiwat, are frequent Fox News contributors. Many on the list were critical of COVID-19 measures like masking and booster vaccinations for young people. Some of them have ties to Florida like many of Trump's other Cabinet nominees: Dave Weldon , the pick for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, represented the state in Congress for 14 years and is affiliated with a medical group on the state's Atlantic coast. Nesheiwat's brother-in-law is Rep. Mike Waltz , R-Fla., tapped by Trump as national security adviser. Here's a look at the nominees' potential role in carrying out what Kennedy says is the task to “reorganize” agencies, which have an overall $1.7 trillion budget, employ 80,000 scientists, researchers, doctors and other officials, and effect Americans' daily lives: The Atlanta-based CDC, with a $9.2 billion core budget, is charged with protecting Americans from disease outbreaks and other public health threats. Kennedy has long attacked vaccines and criticized the CDC, repeatedly alleging corruption at the agency. He said on a 2023 podcast that there is "no vaccine that is safe and effective,” and urged people to resist the CDC's guidelines about if and when kids should get vaccinated . The World Health Organization estimates that vaccines have saved more than 150 million lives over the past 50 years, and that 100 million of them were infants. Decades ago, Kennedy found common ground with Weldon , 71, who served in the Army and worked as an internal medicine doctor before he represented a central Florida congressional district from 1995 to 2009. Starting in the early 2000s, Weldon had a prominent part in a debate about whether there was a relationship between a vaccine preservative called thimerosal and autism. He was a founding member of the Congressional Autism Caucus and tried to ban thimerosal from all vaccines. Kennedy, then a senior attorney for the Natural Resources Defense Council, believed there was a tie between thimerosal and autism and also charged that the government hid documents showing the danger. Since 2001, all vaccines manufactured for the U.S. market and routinely recommended for children 6 years or younger have contained no thimerosal or only trace amounts, with the exception of inactivated influenza vaccine. Meanwhile, study after study after study found no evidence that thimerosal caused autism. Weldon's congressional voting record suggests he may go along with Republican efforts to downsize the CDC, including to eliminate the National Center for Injury Prevention and Control, which works on topics like drownings, drug overdoses and shooting deaths. Weldon also voted to ban federal funding for needle-exchange programs as an approach to reduce overdoses, and the National Rifle Association gave him an “A” rating for his pro-gun rights voting record. Kennedy is extremely critical of the FDA, which has 18,000 employees and is responsible for the safety and effectiveness of prescription drugs, vaccines and other medical products, as well as overseeing cosmetics, electronic cigarettes and most foods. Makary, Trump’s pick to run the FDA, is closely aligned with Kennedy on several topics . The professor at Johns Hopkins University who is a trained surgeon and cancer specialist has decried the overprescribing of drugs, the use of pesticides on foods and the undue influence of pharmaceutical and insurance companies over doctors and government regulators. Kennedy has suggested he'll clear out “entire” FDA departments and also recently threatened to fire FDA employees for “aggressive suppression” of a host of unsubstantiated products and therapies, including stem cells, raw milk , psychedelics and discredited COVID-era treatments like ivermectin and hydroxychloroquine. Makary's contrarian views during the COVID-19 pandemic included questioning the need for masking and giving young kids COVID-19 vaccine boosters. But anything Makary and Kennedy might want to do when it comes to unwinding FDA regulations or revoking long-standing vaccine and drug approvals would be challenging. The agency has lengthy requirements for removing medicines from the market, which are based on federal laws passed by Congress. The agency provides health care coverage for more than 160 million people through Medicaid, Medicare and the Affordable Care Act, and also sets Medicare payment rates for hospitals, doctors and other providers. With a $1.1 trillion budget and more than 6,000 employees, Oz has a massive agency to run if confirmed — and an agency that Kennedy hasn't talked about much when it comes to his plans. While Trump tried to scrap the Affordable Care Act in his first term, Kennedy has not taken aim at it yet. But he has been critical of Medicaid and Medicare for covering expensive weight-loss drugs — though they're not widely covered by either . Trump said during his campaign that he would protect Medicare, which provides insurance for older Americans. Oz has endorsed expanding Medicare Advantage — a privately run version of Medicare that is popular but also a source of widespread fraud — in an AARP questionnaire during his failed 2022 bid for a U.S. Senate seat in Pennsylvania and in a 2020 Forbes op-ed with a former Kaiser Permanente CEO. Oz also said in a Washington Examiner op-ed with three co-writers that aging healthier and living longer could help fix the U.S. budget deficit because people would work longer and add more to the gross domestic product. Neither Trump nor Kennedy have said much about Medicaid, the insurance program for low-income Americans. Trump's first administration reshaped the program by allowing states to introduce work requirements for recipients. Kennedy doesn't appear to have said much publicly about what he'd like to see from surgeon general position, which is the nation's top doctor and oversees 6,000 U.S. Public Health Service Corps members. The surgeon general has little administrative power, but can be an influential government spokesperson on what counts as a public health danger and what to do about it — suggesting things like warning labels for products and issuing advisories. The current surgeon general, Vivek Murthy, declared gun violence as a public health crisis in June. Trump's pick, Nesheiwat, is employed as a New York City medical director with CityMD, a group of urgent care facilities in the New York and New Jersey area, and has been at City MD for 12 years. She also has appeared on Fox News and other TV shows, authored a book on the “transformative power of prayer” in her medical career and endorses a brand of vitamin supplements. She encouraged COVID-19 vaccines during the pandemic, calling them “a gift from God” in a February 2021 Fox News op-ed, as well as anti-viral pills like Paxlovid. In a 2019 Q&A with the Women in Medicine Legacy Foundation , Nesheiwat said she is a “firm believer in preventive medicine” and “can give a dissertation on hand-washing alone.” As of Saturday, Trump had not yet named his choice to lead the National Institutes of Health, which funds medical research through grants to researchers across the nation and conducts its own research. It has a $48 billion budget. Kennedy has said he'd pause drug development and infectious disease research to shift the focus to chronic diseases. He'd like to keep NIH funding from researchers with conflicts of interest, and criticized the agency in 2017 for what he said was not doing enough research into the role of vaccines in autism — an idea that has long been debunked . Associated Press writers Amanda Seitz and Matt Perrone and AP editor Erica Hunzinger contributed to this report. The Associated Press Health and Science Department receives support from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute’s Science and Educational Media Group and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. The AP is solely responsible for all content. This story has been corrected to reflect that the health agencies have an overall budget of about $1.7 trillion, not $1.7 billion. Copyright 2024 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission. Sign up here to get the latest health & fitness updates in your inbox every week!Greg Quatchak, chief at Ingomar Volunteer Company, is running out of ideas. The McCandless resident has been part of Ingomar VFC 187 for 50 years, and chief for 24. It was a family thing, following his father’s footsteps. Living on Harmony Road, across the street from the main station, he fondly remembers his dad volunteering. “I signed up as soon as I was 17,” said Quatchak, now 67. He is being recognized in December for 50 years of service. Recruiting doesn’t seem as easy these days, he acknowledged. “Things have changed,” Quatchak said. “Volunteer fire departments are facing tough challenge,s and our call volumes are steadily increasing annually. People are busy.” Wess Amara, a lieutenant at the Ingomar VFC, works remotely in IT, so he can do his job while manning the station if needed. He’s an immigrant from Tunisia and feels it’s his duty to serve. “It’s my way to give back and help me feel better about myself,” he said. But Amara agrees things are different than what they used to be. “There’s a message issue. We can’t encourage young people. It’s a cultural shift,” Amara said. Ingomar VFC has 10 to 12 active volunteer firefighters, but Quatchak said it would ideal to have closer to 20. The company also has volunteers who perform administrative duties. The Ingomar station has recruitment events throughout the year, and several people do show interest. But they tend to shy away after learning about the commitment, saying they’ll return after family and life get less busy, Quatchak said. He understands this and hopes they do return. But that doesn’t help with current shortages. One day in November yielded seven emergency calls. Quatchak expects to have 700 calls just this year for Ingomar. ‘It goes in cycles’ The other McCandless firefighting units, Peebles Volunteer Fire Company and Highland Volunteer Fire Department, also experience high volumes, he said. Quatchak estimates Peebles will receive 1,000 by the end of the year. Highland is busy, too. “We have already surpassed 750 calls for the year and receive anywhere from 65 to 85 calls per month on average, so I project well over 800 calls for the year,” said Seth Merriman, recruitment coordinator for Highland. “With increasing call volumes and training requirements as the years go on, the demand on our volunteers has drastically increased.” Shawn O’Brien, Highland president, said recruiting often “comes in waves.” “If we get one to two people, then there’s a chance their friends will also join,” he said. “It goes in cycles.” Merriman agreed. “I think we have had our good years and our bad ones as well, but retaining the members is a whole other battle in itself. We have gone whole years without a single application, but we have had years where we have taken up to 10 in one year. We had one of those years back in 2021, but have unfortunately lost more than half of those 10 or so members,” he said. Quatchak said all three firefighting entities are required to attend every emergency call. Unfortunately, a bulk of the calls are false commercial alarms, which they have to answer. He said McCandless council recently approved a decision to require businesses to pay for repeat false alarms. But that doesn’t help the volunteer who is getting up to answer them. An obvious alternative is to have a paid fire department for the town, which Quatchak and Amara said would be a big expense for the taxpayers. They’re hoping it doesn’t come to that. They still get calls for cats in trees or locked doors, and they don’t mind because it makes such a difference when they see the gratitude of the people they help. Amara said visiting local schools and talking about fire safety is one of his favorite things to do. ‘Essentially a free associate degree’ There are some worthwhile incentives for volunteer fire departments in the area. The Allegheny County Fire Volunteer Education, Service Training Scholarship Program, or FireVEST, provides full scholarships for an associate degree or certificate program at Community College of Allegheny County, as well as training at the Allegheny County Fire Academy, according to www.ccac.edu. Of the 200 scholarships offered per year, 150 are for new recruits in exchange for a commitment of five years of service to a volunteer fire department in Allegheny County, while 50 scholarships will be awarded to existing volunteers in exchange for a commitment of five additional years of service. Merriman said there’s a project in progress with North Allegheny School Board and the county fire academy in which students can start at the academy during school as early as their sophomore year and would graduate with essentials of firefighting completed. That gives them the required training and qualifications to be an interior firefighter, as well as CPR/AED and first aid. “This would send them off already qualified to participate in the FireVEST scholarship through CCAC, essentially giving them a free associate degree of their choice,” Merriman said. Quatchak said he has a member who just earned a degree using the scholarship. And both McCandless and Allegheny County offer a tax credit of up to $500 each, a combined amount of $1,000. Local volunteer firefighters also receive free access to county pools, ice rinks and ski slope facilities. There’s a real community and family feel for the volunteers, a lot of camaraderie, said Quatchak. The Ingomar station still looks as new as it did when it opened in 2012. The station features a well-equipped fitness center for volunteers and their families. There’s a lounge and social area, kitchen, meeting rooms and areas for in-house training. A smaller substation is located on Old Perry Highway. The state requires 180 hours of training, including passing four modules. Quatchak said he doesn’t put pressure on a potential volunteer to complete training within a certain time period. “If you’re showing progress and you’re going to training, we allow them to take as long as they need,” Quatchak said. For residents living in Marshall and interested in the Marshall Volunteer Fire Department Township, visit www.marshallvfd.org . Franklin Park Volunteer Fire Company can be found at www.franklinparkvfc158.org . Visit www.bradfordwoodspa.org to find residential volunteering opportunities at the Bradford Woods Volunteer Fire Company.Spotify Users Discover Adult Content Hidden In Search Results Sparking Outrage Over Moderation LoopholesNFL coaches could be in for a Black Monday bloodbath with ‘7 to 10’ openings: insider

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Joe Biden and Donald Trump have led tributes to former US President and Nobel Peace Prize winner Jimmy Carter, who has died aged 100. Carter, who lived longer than any president in history, at his home in Plains, Georgia. Biden described him as "a man of principle, faith and humility," while Trump said all Americans owe Carter a "debt of gratitude". Carter rose from a peanut farmer to become president in 1977, before being forced out of the White House after just one term after Ronald Reagan stormed to victory in the 1981 election. After leaving the White House with low approval ratings, his reputation was restored through humanitarian work which earned him the Nobel Peace Prize. "Today, America and the world lost an extraordinary leader, statesman and humanitarian," President Biden and First Lady Jill Biden said in a statement. "To all of the young people in this nation and for anyone in search of what it means to live a life of purpose and meaning - the good life - study Jimmy Carter, a man of principle, faith, and humility," they added. "He showed that we are great nation because we are a good people - decent and honorable, courageous and compassionate, humble and strong." President-elect Trump posted on Truth Social: "The challenges Jimmy faced as president came at a pivotal time for our country and he did everything in his power to improve the lives of all Americans. "For that, we all owe him a debt of gratitude." World leaders also paid tribute to Carter. King Charles III said "his dedication and humility served as an inspiration to many, and I remember with great fondness his visit to the United Kingdom in 1977". UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer said Carter was "motivated by his strong faith and values" and that he "redefined the post-presidency with a remarkable commitment to social justice and human rights at home and abroad". Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said Carter "was a leader who served during a time when Ukraine was not yet independent, yet his heart stood firmly with us in our ongoing fight for freedom". French President Emmanuel Macron said he had been a "steadfast advocate for the rights of the most vulnerable and has tirelessly fought for peace". Before becoming president in 1977, Democrat Carter was governor of Georgia, a lieutenant in the US navy and a farmer. Carter's presidency will be remembered for his struggles in dealing with acute economic problems and several foreign policy challenges, including the Iran hostage crisis, which ended with the deaths of eight Americans. There was, however, a notable foreign policy triumph in the Middle East when he helped broker an accord between Egypt and Israel, signed at Camp David in the US in 1978. But that seemed a distant memory two years later, when voters overwhelmingly chose Republican Ronald Reagan, who had portrayed the president as a weak leader unable to deal with inflation and interest rates at near record highs. Carter lost the 1980 election by a landslide, winning only six US states plus Washington DC. After leaving the White House, he became the first and only president to return full-time to the house he lived in before politics - a humble, two-bedroom ranch-style home. He chose not to pursue the lucrative after-dinner speeches and publishing deals awaiting most former presidents, , that he never really wanted to be rich. Instead, he spent his remaining years trying to address global problems of inequality and disease. He founded the Carter Center in 1982 to pursue his vision of world diplomacy, and received the 2002 Nobel Peace Prize for his efforts with the foundation to promote human rights around the world. He also teamed up with Nelson Mandela to found The Elders, a group of global leaders who committed themselves to work on peace and human rights. Carter is survived by his four children, 11 grandchildren and 14 great-grandchildren. His wife, Rosalynn, who he was married to for 77 years, died in November 2023. Announcing his death, Carter's son Chip said his father was "a hero, not only to me but to everyone who believes in peace, human rights, and unselfish love". "My brothers, sister, and I shared him with the rest of the world through these common beliefs. The world is our family because of the way he brought people together." Since 2018 and the death of George HW Bush, Carter was the oldest surviving US president. Carter stopped medical treatment for an undisclosed illness last year and instead began receiving hospice care at his home. He had suffered from health issues including a melanoma that spread to his liver and brain. Another leading tribute came from Barack Obama, who reflected on spending time with Carter, saying that "he taught all of us what it means to live a life of grace, dignity, justice, and service". Maranatha Baptist Church in Plains, where Carter taught Sunday school well into his 90s, "will be a little quieter on Sundays", Obama said. "But President Carter will never be far away – buried alongside Rosalynn next to a willow tree down the road, his memory calling all of us to heed our better angels." Former US President Bill Clinton and his wife, former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, also spoke of Carter's faith. "President Carter lived to serve others - until the very end," they said in a statement.

MacKenzie Scott gives rare third gift to medical debt relief groupGreg Quatchak, chief at Ingomar Volunteer Company, is running out of ideas. The McCandless resident has been part of Ingomar VFC 187 for 50 years, and chief for 24. It was a family thing, following his father’s footsteps. Living on Harmony Road, across the street from the main station, he fondly remembers his dad volunteering. “I signed up as soon as I was 17,” said Quatchak, now 67. He is being recognized in December for 50 years of service. Recruiting doesn’t seem as easy these days, he acknowledged. “Things have changed,” Quatchak said. “Volunteer fire departments are facing tough challenge,s and our call volumes are steadily increasing annually. People are busy.” Wess Amara, a lieutenant at the Ingomar VFC, works remotely in IT, so he can do his job while manning the station if needed. He’s an immigrant from Tunisia and feels it’s his duty to serve. “It’s my way to give back and help me feel better about myself,” he said. But Amara agrees things are different than what they used to be. “There’s a message issue. We can’t encourage young people. It’s a cultural shift,” Amara said. Ingomar VFC has 10 to 12 active volunteer firefighters, but Quatchak said it would ideal to have closer to 20. The company also has volunteers who perform administrative duties. The Ingomar station has recruitment events throughout the year, and several people do show interest. But they tend to shy away after learning about the commitment, saying they’ll return after family and life get less busy, Quatchak said. He understands this and hopes they do return. But that doesn’t help with current shortages. One day in November yielded seven emergency calls. Quatchak expects to have 700 calls just this year for Ingomar. ‘It goes in cycles’ The other McCandless firefighting units, Peebles Volunteer Fire Company and Highland Volunteer Fire Department, also experience high volumes, he said. Quatchak estimates Peebles will receive 1,000 by the end of the year. Highland is busy, too. “We have already surpassed 750 calls for the year and receive anywhere from 65 to 85 calls per month on average, so I project well over 800 calls for the year,” said Seth Merriman, recruitment coordinator for Highland. “With increasing call volumes and training requirements as the years go on, the demand on our volunteers has drastically increased.” Shawn O’Brien, Highland president, said recruiting often “comes in waves.” “If we get one to two people, then there’s a chance their friends will also join,” he said. “It goes in cycles.” Merriman agreed. “I think we have had our good years and our bad ones as well, but retaining the members is a whole other battle in itself. We have gone whole years without a single application, but we have had years where we have taken up to 10 in one year. We had one of those years back in 2021, but have unfortunately lost more than half of those 10 or so members,” he said. Quatchak said all three firefighting entities are required to attend every emergency call. Unfortunately, a bulk of the calls are false commercial alarms, which they have to answer. He said McCandless council recently approved a decision to require businesses to pay for repeat false alarms. But that doesn’t help the volunteer who is getting up to answer them. An obvious alternative is to have a paid fire department for the town, which Quatchak and Amara said would be a big expense for the taxpayers. They’re hoping it doesn’t come to that. They still get calls for cats in trees or locked doors, and they don’t mind because it makes such a difference when they see the gratitude of the people they help. Amara said visiting local schools and talking about fire safety is one of his favorite things to do. ‘Essentially a free associate degree’ There are some worthwhile incentives for volunteer fire departments in the area. The Allegheny County Fire Volunteer Education, Service Training Scholarship Program, or FireVEST, provides full scholarships for an associate degree or certificate program at Community College of Allegheny County, as well as training at the Allegheny County Fire Academy, according to www.ccac.edu. Of the 200 scholarships offered per year, 150 are for new recruits in exchange for a commitment of five years of service to a volunteer fire department in Allegheny County, while 50 scholarships will be awarded to existing volunteers in exchange for a commitment of five additional years of service. Merriman said there’s a project in progress with North Allegheny School Board and the county fire academy in which students can start at the academy during school as early as their sophomore year and would graduate with essentials of firefighting completed. That gives them the required training and qualifications to be an interior firefighter, as well as CPR/AED and first aid. “This would send them off already qualified to participate in the FireVEST scholarship through CCAC, essentially giving them a free associate degree of their choice,” Merriman said. Quatchak said he has a member who just earned a degree using the scholarship. And both McCandless and Allegheny County offer a tax credit of up to $500 each, a combined amount of $1,000. Local volunteer firefighters also receive free access to county pools, ice rinks and ski slope facilities. There’s a real community and family feel for the volunteers, a lot of camaraderie, said Quatchak. The Ingomar station still looks as new as it did when it opened in 2012. The station features a well-equipped fitness center for volunteers and their families. There’s a lounge and social area, kitchen, meeting rooms and areas for in-house training. A smaller substation is located on Old Perry Highway. The state requires 180 hours of training, including passing four modules. Quatchak said he doesn’t put pressure on a potential volunteer to complete training within a certain time period. “If you’re showing progress and you’re going to training, we allow them to take as long as they need,” Quatchak said. For residents living in Marshall and interested in the Marshall Volunteer Fire Department Township, visit www.marshallvfd.org . Franklin Park Volunteer Fire Company can be found at www.franklinparkvfc158.org . Visit www.bradfordwoodspa.org to find residential volunteering opportunities at the Bradford Woods Volunteer Fire Company.