Sensei Max Balzano's love of fire companies began in preschool, when a field trip took him to a Florida volunteer fire department. "I was impressed by it," Mr. Balzano remembered. "I said to myself, that's what I want to do." Now 18 and a senior at St. Mary's High School, the Annapolis resident is a firefighter and emergency medical technician at the West Annapolis Volunteer Fire Company Station 40. "I like to be able to help people; I've always liked doing it," he said. "It's a great feeling to know that you made a difference in someone's life."

Mr. Balzano was 16 when he signed up at the fire department in January 2006. He took two summers of training - from CPR classes to Basic Firefighting, and most recently earned his certification to drive the emergency vehicles. "It's pretty much just me pursuing a dream," he said. Chief Robert Vice of Station 40, said he is always looking for high school students with an interest in volunteering. But with so many other opportunities available, most people don't join the fire department until they are adults. He said Mr. Balzano is the only high school volunteer he could recall.

When Mr. Balzano first showed up to volunteer, Chief Vice's first impression was "Just that he was young." Now, two years later, "He's a firefighter, he's got all the training," Chief Vice said. "He works with the team." "He's really involved in anything he does, he doesn't do it half way," Chief Vice said. "He just blends in with everybody."

While most days Mr. Balzano loves the time he spends at Station 40, there are those times when he wonders why he's there. It's especially difficult when he responds to calls concerning children in trauma. "When they're in pain and you can't do anything about it, it hurts," he said. Mr. Balzano recalled one day after he responded to a call concerning a cardiac arrest. He got back and wondered what he was doing. "Then I remembered, I tried to help this person; that's what I'm here for," he said.

Some weekends Mr. Balzano spends 24 hours at the station. Other weekends, he'll spend six to eight hours on a Friday afternoon and evening. While there, he'll respond to calls concerning everything from medical emergencies to fires to "helping Grandma off the floor," he said. "I'm gaining so much experience that I can pretty much take with me anywhere," he said. "I'm going to stay with the company as long as I can." As much as Mr. Balzano enjoys his work, he hesitates to recommend that his friends volunteer as well. "Only if it's something that they want to do; it's inherently dangerous, and you are putting your life on the line for somebody else," he said.

Before joining the fire company, Mr. Balzano earned all 32 of the community service hours he needed to graduate - plus 18 more - from St. Mary's High School by volunteering at the Caring Collection. "I've done arts and crafts in school, but I've never been able to work with stained glass," he said. "I also liked their mission, what they're giving money to." Mr. Balzano will graduate this May, and plans to attend Anne Arundel Community College and then transfer to the Fire Prevention Program at the University of Maryland, College Park, his mother, Jadwiga Balzano, said. Mrs. Balzano continued “Max has come a long way since he attained his black belt back in 2002. He credits his training at University Karate Center with successfully completing his training as a firefighter and EMT.” Max was honored for having completed the most service hours in the history of the high school (which started in 1946). The graduation requirement is 32 service hours. Max completed 1760 hours, mostly volunteering as a firefighter and emergency medical technician with the county fire department.”

Heather Roth, Staff writer for the Annapolis Capital (published by permission)