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Flipping fireman: Third-generation firefighter committed to serving his community

Caitlyn Williams (left) holds Blair, 2 months old, as her Liverpool Township firefighter husband Chris Williams and son, Blake, 5, pose in front of a home at the corner of Stagecoach and Artistic that the couple flipped and is selling. (Photo by Stephanie Ujhelyi)

“Firefighters are a unique breed. They run into burning buildings when everyone else is trying to escape. They respond to gruesome medical calls, and they do it all as a team.” – Dr. Sally Spencer-Thomas

EAST LIVERPOOL — Chris Williams is all about what falls between four walls.

A lieutenant at Liverpool Township’s LaCroft fire station, he spends most days as a real estate agent who ‘flips’ houses and answering the periodic emergency call.

One of eight firefighters assigned to the township’s LaCroft fire station, he acknowledges that their department could use a few more members to do the job.

Another 12 firefighters work out of the department’s Dixonville station, which is needed due to the township’s vast size and widely spread geography, explained Liverpool Township Fire Chief Dave Ward.

The volunteer fire department, which has emerged in communities like Wellsville, St. Clair Township’s Calcutta and Glenmoor and Chester, are struggling to field teams for calls like many other departments in the United States.

In fact, the Fire Rescue magazine published an article in July, which explained that although National Volunteer Fire Council statistics show that fire department call volumes have tripled over the past 20 years, the number of volunteer firefighters in the United States reached a low point.

Nationally, members age 50 and older are significantly higher across all communities than they used to be; however, the problem is even more an issue in smaller communities.

The magazine also examined the age profile of firefighters based by community size and found that communities in excess of 5,000 population tend to have at least one-third of their departments made up firefighters age 30 or younger.

The number of firefighters age 50 or older still working has doubled (32 percent) since 1987.

Williams, who is a third-generation firefighter, acknowledged that the choice of LaCroft station was based on that community’s need. His grandfather James (now deceased) and father Richard had been firefighters for the Calcutta Volunteer Fire Department and he also had been, until changing departments when he heard of the community’s need.

Between longer working hours and commutes, people have had less time for volunteering, which has impacted volunteer fire companies everywhere.

For example in neighboring Pennsylvania, where the volunteer corps were found decades ago, they only have 10 percent of the personnel they had 50 years ago. “There is a definite need, but it is hard to keep up with the training,” Williams added.

He admitted that he is grateful to have a forgiving wife, who is used to missed birthdays, late night lift assists and structure fires as well as his flexible day job.

Williams, when not busting down walls to find hot spots in burning structures, finds himself often putting them up. He works in real estate – not only representing clients looking for their dream homes – but also flipping his own finds.

Any given day, he can be found perusing the internet from his Calcutta-Smiths Ferry office at River Valley Realty, looking for future possible contenders, houses in the need of some curb appeal and TLC.

Williams acknowledges that his familiarity with the housing market has helped with his firefighting side gig, providing unique insight when he responds to a structure fire at 2 a.m. He said that he has seen most house layouts so credits his day job for being able to adjust quickly.

For the flipper fireman, he admits that Stagecoach Road is a favorite stomping ground for Williams, as he points out past, present and future projects while traversing the road to one of his latest projects, a four-bedroom, two-bath near the intersection with Artistic.

Flipping homes has gained popularity through cable shows starring people like Fixer Upper with Chip and Joanna Gaines and the Property Brothers. Like the others – except not chronicled on TV screens, Williams buys a property, renovates it and then sells, or flips, it to make a profit.

“I have been doing three to four a year now,” the township resident explains, adding that he prefers to flip homes in both St. Clair and Liverpool townships due to the lack of zoning thus the need for permits that can rack up additional cost and delays.

He especially likes kitchen renovations, Williams said, adding that he likes the challenge considering he has a real passion for cooking: “I buy the worse of the worst, the ugly.”

A Southern Local graduate of the Class of 2009, Williams met his wife Caitlyn when the couple attended college at West Liberty University. He eventually would earn his degree in banking, finance and economics.

She would go on to become a physician’s assistant for a cardiologist in Wheeling and mother of his two children, 5-year-old Blake and 2-month-old Blair.

While firefighters are drawn to the service, there is not a ton of money that they garner for their efforts. Any fire levy money collected is dispensed by the township to support its fire department and its two stations. However, at the end of the year, both Fire Chief Ward and Williams do explain individual firefighters receive a check from the township based on how many calls they had responded to during the year before.

This doesn’t include ambulance and medical calls, as Fire Chief Ward explained his department doesn’t run Emergency Medical Service (EMS). However, they do answer plenty of calls for downed utility poles, lift assists and structure fires as well as the periodic man trapped in an excavator.

In Williams’ case, he said his “bonus” from Liverpool Township trustees makes good money for his children’s Christmas, so it goes straight to his wife for toys and presents.

After all, firefighting families make a lot of sacrifices too. They get used to the chance that they cannot enjoy a family vacation, Christmas or birthday together as their firefighter will get dispatched to respond to a call. However, those who do it are committed to community service and are willing to make the sacrifice, Williams concluded.

For more information about joining the Liverpool Township Volunteer Fire Department, contact Liverpool Township Fire Chief Dave Ward at 330-385-5610

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