Cannon Haworth was attending high school in Tallahassee, FL when two hurricanes hit the city in 2017. He volunteered with the Red Cross in the disaster relief effort. This experience motivated him to volunteer in a similar capacity when he moved to Washington, D.C to attend American University (AU). Cannon is majoring in terrorism studies and minoring in international relations. Steeped in the intellectual side of college, he wanted a better balance that would add a practical activity to his life. So, when he noticed a poster at AU soliciting volunteers for the nearby Glen Echo Fire Department (GEFD), he jumped at the opportunity. He got a glimpse of EMT work via a “ride along” with GEFD and was voted in as a probationary member (a “probie”) the next month.

In order to fulfill the requirement for EMT training, he chose to relocate to Montana over the summer break to enroll in a highly intensive EMT course – one month of training, 7 days a week, 14 hours a day – that can award national certification. Upon successful completion of the training, he petitioned Maryland for reciprocal acceptance of his certification and took additional training to be proficient in Maryland’s Prehospital Medical Protocols. (In-service training is a constant for EMS Providers at GEFD.)
Of the 9 possible shifts for volunteers each week, Cannon usually works the Friday night shift and adds another shift during the week. His duty time tends to be diverse, ranging from picking up an elderly person who has fallen to treating a victim at a serious car wreck.

All Montgomery County Fire and Rescue Department Volunteers are eligible for partial tuition assistance as well as annual length of service benefits. While these monetary gestures of gratitude from the community are welcomed, Cannon counts the social benefits of GEFD membership as being equally significant. GEFD is proud of its “family atmosphere,” marked by excellent volunteer to volunteer and volunteer to career staff relationships. Organized events for volunteers, like bowling and Jeopardy nights, further build the sense of community within GEFD. He’s become good friends with other GEFD volunteers from AU whom he otherwise would not have met on campus.

His time management skills have been significantly tested, juggling a full (15 credit hours) academic load with collegiate a cappella (3 evenings a week) and his work at GEFD (usually 14 hours a week). Nevertheless, Cannon has assumed some administrative responsibilities for GEFD, including serving as the Special Events Coordinator. So if you want a fire engine to join your July 4 or Halloween parades or want GEFD personnel to visit your school to present on fire safety, it will likely be Cannon replying to your email request (https://www.gefd.org/community-resources/request-an-event/).Cannon and all of the volunteers with whom he works with at GEFD are committed to service and supporting the health and safety of our neighbors.