For over 130 years, Moscow has been supported and protected by volunteer work in for the city’s emergency services. 25 of the 96 firefighters and emergency medical technicians are students at the University of Idaho who balance academics with their volunteer work. Across the state, 70% of all EMS and fire services consist of volunteer work.
Luciano Pegoraro is part of the student residency program with the Moscow Volunteer Fire Department, and is on a team with other UI students, called “Charlie shift.” They are on duty, meaning they are not always working, but they are available and ready the second a call comes in.
“We are full time students at UI, but we also live and work at one of the fire stations in Moscow,” Pegoraro said.
4 p.m. one day to 7:30 a.m. the next, a “Charlie shift” includes responding to medical calls, fire calls and everything in between. Each shift begins with full tank of gas in the truck and gear checks. They must also restock medical equipment if necessary.
“We are supported primarily by the fact that we have so many UI students, UI employees and regular community members that are willing to provide that level of service. All 911 response in Moscow is [the MVFD],” said Pam Rogers, the volunteer coordinator with the MVFD.
The 25 UI students are live-in volunteers with the station counting as their housing for the academic year. The students are separated into three different fire stations spread across the city, all balancing both schoolwork with the duties required to be a firefighter. According to Rogers, many of the students who sign up for the volunteer work are either pre-med or want to get some type of resume building opportunity.
“Volunteer work like this is such a strong resume builder in their respective fields, and that passion for community and the work is a must. This type of work isn’t a box to fill under a required internship,” Rogers said.
To volunteer, a person must have earned a national EMT registry. A class is offered by the MVFD once a year in the fall for candidates who are residing in Moscow for at least three years.
The “Charlie shift” consists of a wide array of students, with some in their first year with the MVFD, others being their fourth.
“I just stumbled onto this program, and it was probably the best thing for me. I decided in high school to become a firefighter, and I’m going to UI with that same goal in mind. During COVID-19, a lot of programs in my area were shut down, so heading up here I was able to apply and got in, and get all of this experience,” said Noah Morehouse, one of the resident students.
Shelby Hobbs connected it with her family.
“My brother was in the resident program when he was in college,” she said. “I joined when I got up here, and I just always grew up around firefighters and EMS.”
The most common thing brought up by the firefighters during their interview with The Argonaut was the community and collaborative nature of the volunteer force.
“We do community events a lot, we do standbys and we do calls all over town. We get to know people so quickly, and it’s such a fun aspect to see and support, and benefit all people. It’s cool to see people from all walks of life,” Hobbs said.
They also must participate in frequent and intense training simulations of hypothetical crisis situations where each volunteer must think on their feet during controlled burns. Fire Station 2, located next to the Latah County Fairgrounds, has a specially designed obstacle course for these simulations. Fire Station 2 is also where the “Charlie shift” volunteers live and work.
“A lot of people think that this work is super intense. Where you’d see all this blood and action and house fires when so much of it is holding the hand of a ninety-year-old that needs help. Sometimes it is as crazy as the movies, where you perform CPR on sight, but it’s about the balance of those moments,” Rogers said.
While the “Charlie shift” was on duty, Arielle Bennet, who has volunteered for EMS for two years, was training in simulations. She works as an EMT while attending graduate school at UI.
“I wanted to be a firefighter since I was a little kid. I had the opportunity during high school to work with my local department, and then go to EMT school, and being here I’ve loved the medical side of it,” Bennet said. “ It’s just the feeling of knowing you made a difference in someone’s life. Even if it’s just helping someone off the floor, or just talking to them for a few minutes. You know you made their day better.”
More information about the MVFD, and applications for the MVFD and EMS teams, can be found at their official website at moscowvolunteer.org. Applications for volunteer positions are open year-round, and applications for residency volunteer fire are available from October through February for the 2027-2028 academic year. There are three different types of applications: student firefighter with residency, EMS-only volunteer and overall volunteer.
Austin Kieckhefer can be reached at [email protected].