Ron Summers, hydro plant technician, has spent nearly 49 years working at Ameren Missouri’s Keokuk Energy Center in Keokuk, Iowa. When he’s not on the job, Summers spends his time as a volunteer firefighter for the Jackson Township Fire Association.

Summers was a founding member of the fire station in 1972. He and several other residents became volunteer fire fighters for their community and even paid for their own boots and equipment.

“In the early days we learned a lot, doing our own repairs on the trucks and the station,” Summers says. “We would look for hand-me-down trucks from other states like New York, fix them up and use them. And we took training from other departments.”

Today, with approximately 19 volunteer members, Jackson Township Fire Association receives about $30,000 annually, through county taxes and fundraisers, for new equipment and maintenance.

“Being part of my community and a volunteer to help when needed is a job I’m proud to love,” Summers says.

June 2012