Article via Delaware County Daily Times
By day, they’re teachers, lawyers, engineers and healthcare professionals. By night—or whenever the call comes—they’re the first to respond, suiting up to protect their neighbors. At South Media Fire Company, volunteers from all walks of life bring their unique skills, passion and purpose to one shared mission: serving their community. As the need for volunteers grows, their stories prove that anyone, regardless of background or schedule, can make a life-saving difference.
Though these stories, South Media Fire Company highlights the diverse careers of volunteers who dedicate their time to serving the community. Get a glimpse into the lives of those making a difference:
Mike Donovan, Captain, Firefighter and Middle School Science Teacher
Mike Donovan, captain at South Media Fire Company, has been part of the team since 2019. With prior volunteer experience at Spring Mill Fire Company in Conshohocken, Donovan brings valuable insight and dedication to his role.
As a middle school science teacher at Devon Preparatory School, he has learned to balance his career with his volunteer responsibilities. “Teaching middle school science is a rewarding challenge,” says Donovan. “But the best part of my role as a volunteer firefighter is driving and operating the trucks. There’s a sense of pride and fulfillment that comes with it.”
Donovan describes the environment at South Media Fire Company as “welcoming and hardworking,” with a team united by shared values and a strong commitment to service. One of those values is recognizing that family and work come first—volunteers are encouraged to give only as much time as they can reasonably offer. For Donovan, that means balancing his teaching career with his responsibilities at the fire company in a way that allows him to contribute meaningfully while still maintaining a healthy personal life.
Why should others consider joining South Media Fire Company? According to Donovan, “It’s not just a family, it’s where you go to get away from your family.” He encourages other locals to get involved, emphasizing the importance of the volunteer community and the satisfaction that comes with serving others.
Rob Hopkins, President, Firefighter and Lawyer
Fire Company President Rob Hopkins’ path to law was anything but conventional. After struggling with choosing a major at Jacksonville University, he dropped out at 20 years old and joined South Media Fire Company as a volunteer firefighter. He later became an EMT, earned a paramedic certification and worked his way up to paramedic supervisor at Taylor Hospital. When his employer offered tuition reimbursement, Hopkins pursued his long-held dream of becoming a lawyer.
He earned his J.D. from Thomas R. Kline School of Law and his B.S. from Drexel University. As a defense attorney specializing in medical malpractice at Burns White LLC, his career mirrors the unpredictability of his time in emergency services. He assures prospective members that balancing a demanding career with volunteering is possible.
“If you can only attend training once a week, that’s fine. There are times I can’t make a late-night fire call because I have court in the morning, but we all do what we can,” said Hopkins.
His experience at the fire company is made even more unique by his younger brother Max, who serves as Chief. “I encouraged him to join after me. It’s been amazing to watch him grow from a shy 17-year-old into the beloved, well-respected Chief he is today,” he said.
Linda Lawson, Firefighter and Bookkeeper
South Media Fire Company volunteer firefighters include Alex Vasilescu, Samantha Simonsen and Linda Lawson, right.
Linda Lawson brings her attention to detail and dedication from her professional life as a bookkeeper to her volunteer work at the South Media Fire Company, where she has served since January 2019.
Lawson, who works part-time at Anderson Elder Law, has spent the past three years managing accounting, monthly reports, client billing and other responsibilities for the boutique law firm. Her favorite part of the job, she says, is knowing the work helps seniors and their families during challenging times.
Her journey into volunteer firefighting began in an unexpected way—through a television promotion. “I saw an NBC promotion about a volunteer recruitment event,” she recalled. “They were showing an episode of Chicago Fire to generate interest in volunteering at one of the Nether Providence fire companies.”
With no prior fire service experience, Lawson stepped into the unfamiliar role and quickly found a second family at the station. “We’re a big family. We have each other’s backs,” she said.
Over the years, her role at South Media has grown. Originally volunteering her time and accounting skills, she has since taken on duties as a fire police officer and ground support for active calls. “There are many needs and endless possibilities on what you can do to help,” she said.
Lawson encourages others to give volunteering a try, regardless of their background or schedule. “We all give the time that we can,” she said. “The personal rewards of volunteering to provide an essential service are immense.”
“It’s our community, and giving back is a great way to be a part of it,” she added.
Samantha Simonsen, Firefighter and Director of Clinical Operations
Although Samantha Simonsen is in the medical field, she finds herself participating in more hands-on, high-stakes situations as a volunteer firefighter than she does in her daily role.
She joined the fire company in 2022 with plans to pursue an administrative role. Encouraged by seasoned volunteers, she dove into firefighting, quickly overcoming her apprehensions and surpassing her own expectations.
In her professional role as Director of Clinical Operations at Penn Medicine, Simonsen’s days vary from managing employees and clinical operations to overseeing budgets and conducting overnight sleep studies. Through her training at the Fire Academy, Simonsen discovered physical and mental strengths she never thought possible.
“It was a whole new world for me,” she said, noting how it’s transformed her approach to handling stressful and uncertain situations, both on and off the job.
Alex Vasilescu, Captain, Firefighter and Mechanical Engineer
Alex Vasilescu brings a unique blend of technical expertise and community service to his career. A graduate of Carnegie Mellon University in Mechanical Engineering and Robotics, Vasilescu’s work at Sandia National Laboratories as a mechanical engineer involves overseeing complex projects, creating reports and presentations, and traveling nationwide to engage with clients, stakeholders and conduct critical tests. He enjoys the challenge of helping teams make impactful decisions and contributing to cutting-edge innovations.
Despite the demands of his high-tech career, Vasilescu also volunteers as a firefighter at South Media Fire Company, where he finds valuable personal and professional growth. “I figuratively fight fires for work and literally fight fires at South Media Fire Company,” he said. “Both roles are stressful, but they’ve taught me the importance of clear, simple, and explicit communication, which is essential in both environments.”
Though initially uncertain about balancing his demanding job with volunteering, Vasilescu quickly found that being involved with the fire company complemented his technical role. Volunteering also helped reinforce the importance of teamwork and communication, both on the fireground and in the lab.
“The support and camaraderie at South Media Fire Company has been incredible,” he said. “It’s a team-driven environment, and those same values of collaboration and mutual support directly translate into my work at Sandia.”
South Media Fire Company is always looking for passionate individuals to join its team. No prior experience is needed to join; training and gear are provided at no cost. Visit www.SouthMediaFire.com to get started.