Firemen Dedicate Themselves to a Greener Life

Wa$ted! was really pleased to spend some time with the full-timers and volunteers at the Evesham Fire-Rescue. And, as it turns out, we were in the right place to do the planet some good: this crew had their act together, and made great green changes in a big way!

You see, a fire department is a fusion of profession and stewardship. The firemen are unionized, and therefore very professional and dedicated, but there is also the life-saving, the danger, and emergency-response aspects of their jobs: there is the added pressure of lives depending on the work these people do every day.

So it comes as no surprise that the Evesham FD was a tough, prepared, dedicated, and attentive group of Wasted contributors. When we took a tour of their firehouse and gave them some suggestions, they not only took our advice to heart, but they made going green a matter of professional pride. And the result was fantastic: a huge drop in their carbon footprint, and enormous earnings—that they gave to charity because they are publicly funded to begin with.

We also learned about how complex going green can be when you are part of a municipal system: the crew was really interested in looking into biodiesel, but—because they are part of a large regional purchasing system they could not just lift themselves out of the mix to green their vehicles. And, while valiant efforts were made, getting a whole section of New Jersey to switch to biodiesel just wasn't possible, because of a mixture of red tape and efficiency concerns over gelling.

But everywhere else, the fire crew's discipline paid off for the planet:

1. We scolded their heavy c-fold-towel use, and offered them xcelerator air dryers and presto! No more towels—almost a complete stop in their paper towel wastage.


2. We gave them grief for their plastic water-bottle use, and the waste caused by the soda bottles they buy all the time. We gave them reusable drink bottles and Presto! Almost a complete stop on bottle wastage.


3. We pointed out how group living offers the opportunity for communal eating, which lowers the footprint of everyone in the group, and Presto! Hungry firemen stuffing their faces together like the second family they are to each other. The results in less wasted food, less packaging because of bigger portions, and less fast-food purchased and packaged.

Chief Lowden would lay down the law on a green change, and that was that—the team took to the new rule and stuck to it. In a job where seconds and structure save lives, adhering to the system—even a brand new system—is just another part of the job. And it is a job the team at Evesham does extremely well.

As the day faded and we were graced with a view of Philly in the distance from the bucket of the ladder truck, we all felt like we had made a real and lasting change for the better, and it was the discipline of the firemen standing on the lawn 50 feet below we had to thank for it.

Don't Miss the Firemen Go Green Episode of Wa$ted! Holter writes about.