Pandemic inspires dad to become a firefighter

Sometimes, a lifechanging experience can come from seemingly out of the blue. At least it appeared that way for Joshua Everetts, age 43, of Jenkintown.

He lived in South Philly with his wife, Jovanna, for 15 years, but the two had decided that once their son, Raylan, was of school age that they would move out of the city to Jenkintown.

They moved in October of 2019 and after a few months of settling in, the pandemic hit. The family suddenly found themselves unable to enjoy and venture out into their new community.

While staying put in the house on lockdown, Everetts would unknowingly stumble upon an opportunity that would change his life forever. “One day I came across a post for ‘volunteers needed’ for the Jenkintown Fire Department, so I jumped on the opportunity to get out of the house.”

Upon volunteering, Everetts was initially accepted into the department as a volunteer fire police officer, “which in itself, took quite a bit of training and also being sworn in by the mayor,” he said.

Everetts really enjoyed this role and still does to this day, but upon overhearing a conversation between two colleagues, again chose a new path to follow.

“One night I overheard a conversation that the volunteer firefighter service was in dire need of volunteers, not only locally, but nationally, so I expressed my interest to my officers and was almost immediately enrolled in the next fire academy.”

Everetts cannot give greater